What’s being banned and will it be successful? – the basicspublished at 07:14 GMT
Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter
Sydney teenagers Stella Pieterse, 14, and Claire Ni, 14, are among those impacted by the social media ban
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hailed the new social media ban for children as a proud moment – and one he says will will go down in history as a great reform.
So, let’s have a quick look at the basics of the new policy.
What’s involved? Under the legislation – which came into force from midnight (13:00 GMT yesterday) – companies could face heavy fines if they don’t take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from opening social media accounts.
What platforms are affected? Social media companies falling within the legislation include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.
Those social media firms have argued the ban would be ineffective, difficult to implement, and could isolate vulnerable teenagers.
Any exemptions? Other sites such as YouTube Kids, Google Classroom and messaging apps including WhatsApp will still be available for under-16s to use.
What does the ban look like? The new online reality has already started to set in for 15-year-old Lulu who has navigated around the ban by creating a new account.
Her old accounts, with her real age, have shut her out, as you can see here.
Will it be successful? The hope is that by Christmas, the government will have a better idea about whether the restrictions are working – and what repercussions there will be for companies that fail to follow the rules.
Our Australia correspondent writes that many other countries are watching on carefully.
