Sometimes a big change arrives quietly, no dramatic headlines, no alarm bells, and yet it reshapes the landscape beneath our feet. Australia’s new under-16 social media age rules are exactly that sort of shift. If you work in marketing or PR, you’ve probably already heard whispers of the change and wondered what it really means for day-to-day strategy.
From 10 December 2025, a world-first legal minimum age of 16 will apply to full account access on many social-media platforms (eSafety Commissioner, 2024a). The responsibility doesn’t fall on parents or young people, it falls squarely on the platforms themselves. And while that may sound like a distant regulatory update, the ripple effects are about to land right in the middle of the marketing world.
In mid-November 2025, Meta confirmed that it would begin restricting Australian teens earlier than required under the new law. From 4 December 2025, Meta will start blocking access to Instagram and Facebook for Australian users aged 13-15, with full enforcement across all accounts by 10 December 2025 (ABC News, 2025). Teen users in this age group have already begun receiving in-app notifications, SMS alerts and emails advising them to download their data or update contact details so they can regain access once they turn 16 (AP News, 2025). Meta said it will rely on a combination of age-verification tools, including government ID checks and optional facial-analysis “video selfies”, to authenticate users who appeal their classification (ABC News, 2025).
The scale of the change is significant. According to Meta, around 350,000 Australian Instagram users and 150,000 Facebook/Threads users aged 13-15 will be affected (Reuters, 2025). While the company maintains its concerns that the legislation was rushed, it has stated it will comply fully with the requirements of the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 (Reuters, 2025).
What’s happened and why
To understand the change, it helps to picture what life looks like for young people online. The eSafety Commissioner has long warned that under-16s face heightened risks inside these platforms, constant notifications, personalised feeds built to hook attention, algorithmic pressure, social comparison, and exposure to content they’re not yet equipped to process (eSafety Commissioner, 2024b). So the government stepped in.
Through the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, Australia updated the existing Online Safety Act to require platforms to take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16s from creating or keeping accounts (APO, 2025). The law passed in late 2024 and starts applying in December 2025 (eSafety Commissioner, 2024a). At its heart, the move is about time, giving younger Australians the breathing room to build digital maturity before being handed the deeper, more complex layers of the social-media world.
What “reasonable steps” actually look like
Now, “reasonable steps” might sound vague, but the guidance behind it is surprisingly detailed. Think of it as a layered safety net rather than a blunt ban. Platforms must put systems in place, a mix of technology, policy and human oversight, to estimate or verify a user’s age (eSafety Commissioner, 2025). This can include self-declared age, device or behavioural patterns, or ID-based checks. But crucially, no single method is enough on its own, and government ID cannot be the only route (Department of Infrastructure, 2025; Bird & Bird, 2025).
Behind the scenes, strict privacy rules apply. Any data collected for age assurance must be kept to a minimum and deleted once it’s no longer needed, in line with OAIC standards (OAIC, 2025). And platforms need to show they’re actively identifying under-16 accounts and restricting or removing them, with the understanding that the government is looking for effort, not perfection (eSafety Commissioner, 2025).
What “reasonable steps” do not mean
The new rules don’t expect platforms to magically erase every under-16 account the moment the clock hits midnight on 10 December. They also can’t lean on the old “Click here if you’re over 16” trick; regulators have made it clear that this is nowhere near enough (AP News, 2024). And they cannot force every user to upload a passport or licence; there must be privacy-protecting alternatives (eSafety Commissioner, 2024c).
Big tech wasn’t thrilled. Meta, TikTok and Snap all publicly voiced concerns, calling the law rushed, difficult to implement and potentially risky (Reuters, 2025a). Meta even criticised the consultation process as inadequate (Guardian Australia, 2024). But opposition doesn’t change the law. With penalties reaching AUD $49.5 million for non-compliance (eSafety Commissioner, 2024a), every major platform has committed to meeting the requirements. Not because they want to, but because they legally must.
How this shifts the marketing and PR landscape in Australia
Here’s where the story bends toward brands. This isn’t just a policy tidying up the edges of the internet. It reshapes how marketers understand, reach and influence one of the most impressionable, and commercially influential, demographic groups in the country. Picture the brands that build their identity around young teens: fashion labels, beauty companies, gaming brands, sports and lifestyle products, event organisers. These brands have long relied on the precision of logged-in social media: targeted ads, custom audiences, creator partnerships with measurable reach. But as under-16s lose access to full accounts, that precision begins to blur (Raising Children Network, 2025).
Young people will still see public content, but in a more passive, less personalised way. That means fewer insights, fewer targeting levers and a return to something the industry often forgets: storytelling that can stand on its own. Digital teams will see this shift first in their dashboards. Engagement numbers may look different. Demographic reporting becomes less exact. Behavioural modelling adjusts itself around the missing cohort. And so the natural response begins, diversifying into platforms that aren’t affected in the same way: Google, streaming environments and gaming ecosystems.
While YouTube remains accessible for passive, non-logged-in viewing, under-16s will not be able to hold accounts, upload content or receive personalised feeds, so it is no longer a fully viable logged-in alternative for youth engagement (eSafety Commissioner, 2024b).
For influencers, the ground moves too. Creators may still reach teens, but if a chunk of their followers aren’t logged in, the metrics suddenly tell a different story. Forecasting becomes less predictable, and PR teams may find themselves leaning more into community-based storytelling, real-world activations and trusted youth partnerships to fill the gap (Reuters, 2025b). Brands will also rediscover just how much sway teens have on household decisions. Even without logged-in profiles, they drive fashion trends, tech purchases, entertainment choices and food decisions. Reaching them now means shifting attention to schools, ambassadors, retail partnerships, grassroots programs, and offline experiences that build visibility without relying on personalised feeds.
And as always, money follows clarity. As one demographic segment becomes harder to verify, ad spend begins to drift toward the next most measurable group, often the 16-24 bracket, or into channels where age assurance is simpler.
A final shift sits beneath all of this: reputation. With the government watching how young Australians are exposed to content, brands will be under tighter scrutiny. Expect stricter ad approvals, more refined safety rules, and a growing expectation that messaging aimed anywhere near teens is responsible, respectful and safe. In the end, the industry is being nudged back to its fundamentals: clarity, creativity, human connection, and an understanding that strong campaigns reach people because they resonate, not because the algorithm puts them in the right hands.
Impact on Teen Content Creators and Influencers
The new rules are also reshaping life for teenage content creators, many of whom use social media as a genuine business platform. Under the legislation, no exemptions exist for commercial or professional teen creators, meaning those aged under 16 will lose access to their own accounts regardless of income-earning activity (eSafety Commissioner, 2024a). As Meta begins disabling these profiles, young influencers are facing the loss of audience reach, contracted brand partnerships, and the analytics they need to maintain paid work.
Australian media reports note growing concern among these young creators, some of whom are reportedly exploring relocation overseas or shifting to platforms not affected by the Australian age-verification regime in order to continue their work (ABC News, 2025). Without the ability to legally run or access Instagram and Facebook accounts, many will be forced to rely on older guardians to manage accounts, explore platforms not restricted under the Act, or rebuild audiences once they turn 16. YouTube is not a workaround for teen creators, as under-16s will also be restricted from holding logged-in YouTube accounts or uploading content (eSafety Commissioner, 2024b).
This reinforces a broader industry message: creators who diversify income streams, build first-party audiences (such as newsletters), and reduce reliance on platform-controlled reach are better positioned to withstand major regulatory shifts (Reuters, 2025).
References
ABC News (2025) Meta to block Australian teenagers from Instagram and Facebook a week early. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-19/meta-to-block-teens-from-instagram-facebook-week-early/106028014 (Accessed: 25 November 2025).
AP News (2025) Meta begins notifying young Australian users ahead of social media age restrictions. Available at: https://apnews.com/article/334458608b809a26cc07ea74e39b9b7b (Accessed: 25 November 2025).
Reuters (2025) Meta to block Facebook and Instagram for Australian teens by December 10. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/meta-block-facebook-instagram-australian-teens-by-december-10-2025-11-19/ (Accessed: 25 November 2025).
eSafety Commissioner (2024a) Social media age restrictions: Overview. Available at: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions (Accessed: 25 November 2025).
ABC News (2024) Meta, Snapchat and TikTok respond to Australia’s social media age rules. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-29/meta-snapchat-tiktok-respond-to-australian-social-media-ban (Accessed: 18 November 2025).
ABC News (2025) What social media apps will be affected by Australia’s new age restrictions? Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-05/what-social-media-apps-are-getting-banned-in-australia (Accessed: 18 November 2025).
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eSafety Commissioner (2025) Social Media Minimum Age – Regulatory Guidance. Available at: https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/eSafety-SMMA-Regulatory-Guidance.pdf (Accessed: 18 November 2025).
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Reuters (2025a) Meta, TikTok and Snap say they oppose Australia’s youth social media ban but will comply. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/meta-tiktok-snap-say-they-oppose-australias-youth-social-media-ban-will-comply-2025-10-28 (Accessed: 18 November 2025). Reuters (2025b) Big Tech starts complying with Australia’s teen social media age rules. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/big-tech-stops-complaining-starts-complying-with-australias-teen-social-media-2025-11-12 (Accessed: 18 November 2025).
