Australia: Minister of Communications application of Social Media Minimum Age Act to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch enters into force

On 10 December 2025, the Minister of Communications' designation of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Threads, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch as age-restricted social media platforms under the Social Media Minimum Age Act enters into force. These services were assessed by the eSafety Commissioner as age-restricted social media platforms because their sole or significant purpose is to enable online social interaction. The platforms are required to implement age-verification systems and user access restriction measures to prevent persons under 16 from creating or holding accounts. The Social Media Minimum Age Act imposes financial penalties of up to AUD 49.5 million if regulated services fail to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from accessing them.