Social media age restrictions are moving from policy proposals to law, but not at the same pace everywhere. Australia’s under-16 account restriction has been in force since 10 December 2025. The UK has announced a similar direction, but its planned service-level regulations are not yet in force and require parliamentary approval.
What is the outlook for social media age restrictions?
The near-term picture is a widening policy shift toward age limits on social-media accounts and restrictions on features considered risky for children. Australia provides the first operating example in this comparison; the UK is still developing its approach. The distinction matters: a government announcement is not the same as an enforceable rule, and early account-removal figures are not proof that a restriction has reduced harm.
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The key questions are which services and ages a rule covers, who must comply, how age is checked, what privacy safeguards apply, and whether the policy produces its intended effects.
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Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age scheme took effect on 10 December 2025. Under Part 4A of the Online Safety Act 2021, providers of age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users from having accounts. The age-restricted group is children under 16 who are ordinarily resident in Australia, and the rule applies to covered services accessible in Australia. The statute states that the law’s object is “to reduce the risk of harm to age-restricted users from certain kinds of social media platforms”—a statement of purpose, not evidence that the policy has achieved that outcome.
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The compliance duty belongs to platform providers. Australian Government guidance says children and their parents or carers are not penalized for a child’s access. The Government lists a maximum platform penalty of AUD 109.2 million for failing to take reasonable steps; penalties and other legal details can change, so consult the current official guidance.
Which services are covered?
Coverage turns on a service’s functions and the legislative Rules, not simply whether people call it a social network. The Act describes services whose sole or significant purpose is online social interaction, that let users connect or interact and post material. The Rules add conditions, including recommender and/or logged-in features. The eSafety Commissioner’s current guidance and list are the practical place to check likely coverage; eSafety assesses services for enforcement but does not formally declare a definitive list. Rules and service features may change, so an app’s status should not be assumed from an old list.
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Government guidance identifies messaging, gaming, professional networking and development, education, and health-support services as categories that can remain accessible when they are not covered. That is not a blanket exemption for every service in those categories: the statutory criteria and a service’s design determine the result.
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The law requires reasonable steps, not one universal age-check technology. It restricts platforms from collecting government-issued identification material or using an accredited Australian Government digital ID service for this purpose unless they offer a reasonable alternative way for a person to assure the provider that they are not under 16. eSafety’s FAQ says platforms may not compel Australians to provide government ID or use government-accredited digital ID for age proof.
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Age checks still involve privacy choices: what personal information a platform collects, how it is used, and how it is protected. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner explains that Part 4A operates alongside the Privacy Act and imposes additional, more stringent obligations on personal information handled to meet the minimum-age requirement. The law therefore does not mean every age-assurance method needs identity documents, nor does it permit platforms to require government ID without the specified alternative.
United Kingdom: a comparable direction, with rules still pending
In June 2026, the UK government announced plans to ban social media for under-16s and to restrict high-risk features—including livestreaming and strangers contacting children—on other online services. It said messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be included, and that it plans to use a model like Australia’s. These are stated policy intentions, not settled legal coverage or an implemented ban.
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The government’s June 2026 progress statement says it intends to lay the first regulations related to service-level age restrictions before Parliament by the end of 2026, with further regulations within 12 months of that statement. The regulations use the affirmative procedure and require approval by both Houses. The timetable and eventual rules may change; detailed age-check, enforcement and service-coverage arrangements are not established by the announcement.
What consultation responses show—and do not show
The UK progress statement reports that 90% of parents who responded supported a minimum age of at least 16, while 19% of children supported a minimum age of 16 across all social-media platforms. It also says 65% of young people aged 16–21 wanted under-16s restricted from at least some engagement-maximizing features, and 53% wanted infinite scrolling restricted. These are findings among consultation respondents as reported by the government, not population-wide estimates unless the consultation methodology supports that interpretation.
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What early evidence says about Australia
4.7 million account removals are an implementation measure
eSafety reported that covered platforms had removed access to 4.7 million under-16 accounts across Australia by mid-December 2025. This is an early operational figure: it counts reported account access removals, not unique children, and does not establish lasting compliance, reduced harm, or the net effect on young people.
The impact evaluation is not complete
eSafety’s March 2026 evaluation update says its implementation and impact evaluation began in November 2025 and is expected to run for at least two years. It will examine intended and unintended effects and the experiences of under-16s, parents and carers. The update’s initial qualitative research was completed in the month before the rules took effect, so it can inform understanding of anticipated views and experiences, but it is not a post-implementation causal assessment.
Attitudes to age assurance are not the same as support for a ban
The Australian Government’s consumer research page reports that around nine in ten adults supported age assurance, and 80% said age assurance would either not affect or positively influence their likelihood of using a website. The page also reports limited trust in platforms’ handling of personal data. These results concern age-assurance technologies generally, not measured support for every part of the social-media account restriction.
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Quick Recap
How the two approaches compare
| Question | Australia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Scheme in force from 10 December 2025. | Government plan announced in June 2026; regulations remain prospective and require approval by both Houses of Parliament. |
| Basic approach | Covered platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts. | Announced under-16 social-media restriction plus limits on certain high-risk features on other services. |
| Scope | Depends on statutory criteria and the Rules; some services are excluded. | Messaging services including WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be included; final regulatory detail is pending. |
| Age assurance and privacy | No single method is prescribed. Government ID and accredited digital ID use are restricted, alternatives are required in specified circumstances, and privacy obligations apply. | Detailed implementation design remains to be established in regulations. |
| Enforcement and evidence | Platform penalties apply; eSafety has reported early account removals and is evaluating impact. | Detailed enforcement provisions and policy effects cannot yet be assessed from the announced plan. |
What to watch next
- Australia’s coverage decisions and Rules: service features and legislative changes can affect which platforms are covered.
- Australia’s evaluation: eSafety’s planned multi-year work should offer stronger evidence than account-removal totals alone, including unintended effects.
- UK regulations and parliamentary scrutiny: the proposed timetable is not a guarantee of final rules; the regulations must be approved by both Houses.
- Age-check design and privacy safeguards: implementation choices will determine what data users are asked to provide and how that information is handled.
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