Australia blocks under-16s from major social media platforms: Could the US follow?
Australia's policy prohibiting children under 16 from major social media platforms is now in effect, raising questions about potential similar laws in the US.
Australia’s landmark ban blocking children under 16 from major social media platforms has officially taken effect. It’s raising questions about whether the United States, along with other countries, could pursue a similar model.
The world-first policy, which began on Wednesday, requires major apps to verify user ages and remove under-16 accounts or face steep fines, CNN reported. The rollout comes after years of global concern over teen mental health, online exploitation, and addictive platform design.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese marked the rollout with a video message calling it “a day when families are taking back power.” With Denmark and Malaysia exploring similar rules, Australia’s policy is already seen as a potential template.
No US state has gone as far as prohibiting under-16s from social media altogether, but several have recently passed age-verification or parental-consent laws.
Nebraska has enacted a law requiring platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors beginning July 2026. Utah, Texas, and Louisiana have adopted measures requiring app stores to check ages and secure parental consent for downloads and updates. This framework is supported by some social media companies but opposed by Apple and Google, CNN reported.
The US Supreme Court has also upheld a Texas law mandating age checks for pornography websites, signaling openness to certain digital-age restrictions.
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Some political figures want to go further. Rahm Emanuel, former Obama chief of staff, recently argued that the US should also bar children under 16 from social media, according to CNN. But experts say a federal ban remains unlikely. Congressional gridlock and expected First Amendment challenges stand as major hurdles.
“Big Tech would fight a national ban with all its lobbying might,” Alex Pascal of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center told CNN. Still, he said the “popular tide” in America has turned against platforms, making more state-level action likely before 2030.
How US platforms are already responding
Even without nationwide rules, many companies have rolled out youth-safety features under pressure from parents and advocacy groups, CNN reported. These include:
- “Take a break” reminders
- Restricted content settings
- Expanded parental controls
Read More: This country is trying to ban social media at school. Here's how that's going
Platforms are also increasingly turning to AI to identify minors who signed up with false birthdates.
Instagram introduced teen-specific protections and aligned restrictions with PG-13 standards. YouTube has begun using AI to estimate user ages, prompting privacy complaints from some adults mistakenly flagged as teens.
Roblox recently announced it will require all users to verify their age via ID or face scan to access chat features, following lawsuits alleging predators had contacted minors on the platform.
Platforms are also increasingly turning to AI to identify minors who signed up with false birthdates.
Instagram introduced teen-specific protections and aligned restrictions with PG-13 standards. YouTube has begun using AI to estimate user ages, prompting privacy complaints from some adults mistakenly flagged as teens.
Roblox recently announced it will require all users to verify their age via ID or face scan to access chat features, following lawsuits alleging predators had contacted minors on the platform.
