How will Australia's under-16 social media ban work?

The world-first law aims to reduce the risks children face online, but critics fear it may not work.

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They will not be able to set up new accounts, and existing profiles must be deactivated.

The ban - the first of its kind - is being watched closely by other countries.

The government says it will reduce the negative impact of social media's "design features that encourage [young people] to spend more time on screens, while also serving up content that can harm their health and wellbeing".

A study it commissioned earlier in 2025 found that 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media, and that seven out of 10 of them had been exposed to harmful content. This included misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide.