Young people in Australia are on the verge of a profound shift in their digital lives. 

The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 has been sold by the Australian government as a straightforward fix for a range of complex problems. The policy seeks to prevent under-16s from holding social media accounts on designated platforms. 

Supporters of Australia’s social media age ban, many with strong links to traditional media organizations, argue it will protect children from online harm, reduce bullying, and limit exposure to addictive designs. Yet there is limited research that a ban will achieve these lofty ambitions, with many instead citing concerns about exclusion, migration to unregulated platforms, and the privacy risks created by mandatory age-verification.

Public debate on the subject has been loud and emotive. Yet key facts about how the law works have been missing. It is important to understand what the ban actually does, what it does not do, and what risks may follow.

This is a chance to look closely at some common claims.

Who Does the Law Apply to?

The law does not ban children from being on social media. It does not make it illegal for a young person to have an account. It does not make parents into criminals if they help their children stay online. The law applies only to social media platforms that the minister for communications has designated. The duty sits with the platform, not with families.

This point matters. Many public comments have suggested that parents who help teens remain online are doing something deviant. They are not. They are acting in the same grey zone that families have always navigated around digital life. The law is a compliance burden on platforms, not a criminal offence for users.

In practice, platforms must take reasonable........

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