The Australian Government passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. This law “bans” under 16s from holding some social media accounts from 10 December, 2025. Here’s what schools need to know.
What do the new laws say?
The new laws say that, from 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms must take reasonable steps to ensure that people under 16 do not hold accounts. This is not really a ‘ban’, it is a mandatory minimum age requirement for holding accounts.
Who has obligations under the new laws?
Only certain social media platforms have obligations under the new laws. Specifically, platforms that qualify as “age-restricted social media platforms” have obligations. An “age‑restricted social media platform” is defined as an electronic service that meets these conditions:
- The sole purpose, or a significant purpose, of the service is to enable online social interaction between two or more end‑users
- The service allows end‑users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end‑users
- The service allows end‑users to post material on the service
It is expected that many platforms will qualify as “age-restricted social media platforms”, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Do the laws impose obligations on schools, students or parents/carers?
No. The laws only impose obligations on social media platforms. If a child under 16 accesses a social media account, the child cannot be penalised and nor can their school or parents/carers.
Also note: schools do NOT have an obligation to monitor compliance with the laws, i.e., if the school discovers that an under 16 holds an account with an age-restricted platform, the school may report this but is not legally obliged to do so.
What about platforms that are used for educational purposes? Do they have obligations?
Social media platforms that are used primarily for educational purposes are exempt from the laws. This means that under 16s are allowed to hold accounts for:
- Services that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the education of end‑users
- Services that have a significant purpose of facilitating communication between educational institutions and students or students’ families
What will happen to existing accounts?
Age-restricted social media platforms will have an obligation to take reasonable steps to identify and remove any accounts held by under 16s.
What schools need to do
Schools are at the intersection of students’ digital lives and their wellbeing. The new laws do not shift responsibility to schools in any formal sense but will likely have ripple effects. Here are key things for schools to keep in mind:
Expect changes in behaviour and expectations
- Some students may try to circumvent restrictions (e.g. by using a parent’s account, shared device or a VPN etc.)
- Parents/carers and other stakeholders may expect the school to police or monitor whether students are complying with the new laws. It’s important to be clear with students and families about what the school can and cannot reasonably do
- There may be confusion among students and parents about which platforms are 'banned' or age-restricted and when the laws start
Integrate the new laws into digital citizenship and wellbeing programs
- Use this change as an opportunity to revisit your school’s curriculum around online safety, media literacy and wellbeing
- Refresh guidelines or workshops to help parents and carers understand the change and how to support children online
- Clarify with students and parents that, even without a social media account, students can still be exposed to harmful content through shared devices, links or other methods.
Communicate with stakeholders
- Prepare communications so that parents and students are aware of the new laws
- If your school uses social media (e.g. school Instagram, Facebook pages), be ready to guide parents regarding how their children interacting with school social media might change (e.g. students liking or commenting using a parent’s account)
Maintain safeguarding and reporting responsibilities
- Even though the new laws apply to social media platforms, schools retain their duty of care in relation to cyberbullying, online harassment or harmful content involving their students. The new laws do not replace existing obligations under child safety, anti-bullying or behaviour policies
- Continue to monitor student welfare, intervene when social media issues manifest in school settings and liaise with parents or external agencies as needed
Watch for regulatory guidance, exemptions, and updates
- The eSafety Commissioner is developing guidelines for what constitutes “reasonable steps” for platforms
- Legislative rules will clarify which platforms or services are excluded (or partially exempted) from the age restrictions
- The Government has said it will review the operation of the laws within two years after it comes into force
- Some recent reporting suggests officials are discouraging overly broad age verification demands (e.g. forcing all users to prove age) because of privacy and usability concerns
- There are still uncertainties: for example, how exactly deactivation of existing under 16 accounts will work or how “reasonable steps” will be judged in practice
Schools should not assume that they must individually enforce or police social media use by students beyond existing policies. Schools are also not expected to detect or report students under 16 who managed to create accounts. The technology and enforcement regime is still being developed and discussed; schools should therefore avoid speculating too far ahead. The restrictions also do not replace existing legal obligations around child safety, bullying or online-harassment.
Resources for schools
Useful resources include:
Conclusion
The under 16 social media age restriction is uncharted territory for all. For schools, it offers both challenges (uncertainty, student questions, transitional matters) and opportunities (reinforcing digital citizenship, engaging with families and rethinking wellbeing strategies in the digital age).