Australia Adds Reddit to Social Media Ban for Under-16s
Australia will next month roll out the world’s first nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms.
Reddit and livestreaming platform Kick are the latest to be included, bringing the total number of targeted sites to nine. They join Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Threads.
Beginning 10 December, platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to block new under-16 accounts or deactivate existing ones may face penalties of up to A$50 million.
Authorities say these services were selected because their primary function is social interaction, and additional platforms may be added as technology evolves.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the ban aims to protect young people from manipulative design systems, including opaque algorithms and infinite scrolling, giving them “valuable time to learn and grow.”
While Discord, WhatsApp, Lego Play, Roblox, Google Classroom, and YouTube Kids are excluded, standard YouTube will require users under 16 to remain unregistered. Teens will still be able to watch videos, but not upload or interact.
The proposal has drawn mixed reactions. Polling suggests most Australian adults support the measure, while critics warn of privacy issues tied to likely age-verification tools such as official IDs, parental consent, and facial recognition.
Mental-health advocates argue that cutting young people off from online spaces could heighten isolation and drive them to more dangerous corners of the internet. Others believe the government should prioritize cracking down on harmful online content and improving digital literacy.
One high-profile YouTube family has already announced plans to relocate to the UK so their 14-year-old daughter can continue creating content, highlighting the cultural and economic ripple effects of the shift.
At its core, the policy underscores an ongoing global debate: how to balance children’s safety with their autonomy, expression, and belonging in the digital world.
Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), children have the right to protection from harmful content. Any measure limiting their online participation must be balanced with their right to access information and express themselves, ensuring safety without unnecessarily restricting growth, creativity, and connection.
