Australia’s Social Media Ban
The first, but not the last: age restrictions, algorithms and addictive mechanics
The Underline:
In Short: Australia’s social media ban kicks off a wave of global regulations.
So What: The firm grip ‘Addictive’ mechanics and algorithms have on our attention will come under scrutiny with advertising, gaming and social sectors poised for a shakeup.
It’s been one month since the world’s first social media ban went into effect in Australia for kids under 16 with mixed feedback on efficacy and enforcement.
On December 10, 2025 children aged 15 and under were no longer allowed to access social media.
What’s banned? TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Kick, Twitch
What’s not banned? Roblox, Discord, FB Messenger, Gaming, Standalone messenger apps
While Australia is the first, it won’t be the last.
France, Denmark and Malaysia have each announced they will implement their own bans for kids in 2026. Many other countries (Norway, Ireland, Spain) are also considering similar moves. In 2021, China banned kids under 18 from playing online games during the week and limited time on weekends.
Some companies are proactively putting in protocols to build for the inevitability of age-related limitations: Substack is one, despite not being on Australia’s ban list.
This is just the start.
We can’t talk about social media bans, without addressing 3 key issues
1. Data Privacy: Cybersecurity Breaches of Age Verification Datasets
Is the government or are the tech companies doing age verification?
Cybersecurity experts flagged concern over Snapchat’s approach of outsourcing to third parties for age verification.
Trust of tech companies is nearly non-existent: 4.4% of Australian adults fully trust companies to store personal information securely.
2. The Gods of the Algorithms
Nearly 50% of Australian children surveyed expressed concerns about not being able to control what shows up in their feed.
It takes only 23 minutes for an account mimicking a 16-18 year old boy to be shown misogynistic content by social media algorithms, regardless of the viewing preferences.
Teach Us Consent is advocating for an opt-in feature for social media algorithms. #FixOurFeeds would not just allow you to turn off the algorithm, but rather you’d have to opt-in to it.
This gives the user the power and the choice of where you put your attention - chronological vs algorithmic feed.
3. Social Media ‘Addiction’: AKA ‘User Stickiness’ Mechanics
The EU is exploring regulating ‘addictive’ social media mechanics like infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications and rewards for usage.
These gamification techniques are designed to keep people engaged. And they work. Users spend more time in-app and spend $$.
This is the name of the game for tech companies, specifically monetizing off ads: size of audience, depth of usage, trends in Day-7, Day-30 retention, Daily Active Users (DAU), Monthly Active Users (MAU), etc.
~50% of Australian children worry about social media addiction.
The Bottom Line: Australia is the first, but won’t be the last.
Cyberbullying. Addiction. Algorithms. The conversation of internet safety all comes back to one thing: owning our attention. Are kids under 16 prepared to manage this without guardrails?
For the broader tech industry, how does this set the tone for data privacy and user’s right to choose what they see?
For me, we can’t discuss internet safety without addressing algorithms. Algorithm opt-ins are not an if but when. I support #FixOurFeeds - consumers should have the choice if they have an algorithmic feed.
As with GDPR and ATT, advertising will have a shakeup, but brands with authentic content and strong messaging will be rewarded.