Beginning from midnight, platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat were compelled to lock out underage users in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as one of the most far-reaching social crackdowns of the digital age.
Australia on Wednesday triggered a seismic shift in global internet regulation after becoming the first country to legally ban children under 16 from using social media, forcing major platforms to block millions of young users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million).
Beginning from midnight, platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat were compelled to lock out underage users in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as one of the most far-reaching social crackdowns of the digital age.
“This will make an enormous difference… one of the biggest social and cultural changes our nation has faced,” Albanese declared. “It is a proud day for families.”
The ban, sold by government officials as a mental-health rescue mission, has already triggered a mass wipeout online.
TikTok alone confirmed 200,000 accounts were disabled in hours, with “hundreds of thousands more” set to go dark this week.
Across feeds, Australian teens flooded their final hours of access with farewell posts and digital grief.
“No more social media… no more contact with the rest of the world,” one teen lamented.
“#seeyouwhenim16,” another wrote before accounts disappeared.
Elon Musk’s X was the last giant to fall in line, releasing a pointed statement: “It’s not our choice — it’s what the Australian law requires.”
The platform confirmed it is “automatically offboarding” anyone who fails age tests.
All 10 companies are required to deploy invasive age-estimation technology — from behavioural data analysis to facial-image verification and possible ID uploads — a move critics say crosses into state surveillance territory.
While Silicon Valley lobbyists warn of “state overreach”, Canberra insists the platforms ignored safety warnings for years.