Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Rules: What Parents Need to Know

What do Australia’s under-16 rules cover?

The requirements concern accounts on age-restricted social media platforms. They don’t prohibit every form of internet use or mean that a child needs to wait until 16 to have any communication device. Owning a phone, having internet access and holding a social media account are separate decisions.^{[1, 2]}

The government’s definition considers a service’s social interaction functions and features such as personalised recommendations, endless feeds and feedback mechanisms. Services primarily intended for messaging, online gaming, education or health support can fall outside the requirements. A service’s actual features and purpose influence its position.^[1]

This distinction helps families make more precise decisions. A child who needs to call home after sport may need a communication solution. Our related article, Everyone Else Has a Phone: What Parents Can Say, explores that first-phone decision in more depth.

Which social media platforms are affected?

At the review date, eSafety’s published list identifies Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube as services it considers age-restricted. This isn’t an exhaustive register or a permanent list.^[3]

The same page records self-assessment notifications from other services, including Bluesky, Wizz and Lemon8. Some services listed there apply a higher minimum age of 18. Turning 16 therefore doesn’t provide eligibility for every online service.^[3]

Examples eSafety lists as services it considers outside these particular restrictions include Discord, Google Classroom, Messenger, Pinterest, Roblox, Steam and Steam Chat, WhatsApp and YouTube Kids. Each service can still have its own age requirements and conditions. Check the official platform information for changes.^[3]

Being outside this scheme isn’t a safety endorsement. Before agreeing to an alternative, look at who can contact your child, whether strangers can enter conversations, what content is available and how reporting works. Moving a friendship group to a different app still calls for adult thought and guidance.^[2]

Can parents give permission or keep an existing account?

Parental permission doesn’t provide an exception to the minimum age requirement. Accounts created before the requirements began aren’t automatically protected either. An under-16 account that remains accessible can still be deactivated or removed.^[4]

If your child still has an account, begin by asking what they use it for. Identify important contacts, creative work or memories, then use the platform’s official options to save permitted material and close or deactivate the account. Recovery arrangements differ, so avoid promising that everything will return at 16.^[4]

Give your child practical help with the transition, particularly if they’re worried about losing contact with people. A useful response is: “We need to sort out this account. First, let’s work out who you need to stay in touch with and how we can make that happen.”

How age checks work and what to ask about privacy

Age assurance is the broad term for methods used to assess someone’s age. A platform might infer age from existing account information, estimate age using technology such as facial analysis, or verify it using documents or another source. There isn’t one universal method.^[5]

Platforms can offer government-issued identification as an option, but they must also provide a reasonable alternative. They can’t force Australians to use government ID or an Australian Government accredited digital ID service for these social media minimum age checks.^{[4, 5]}

There are specific privacy obligations, including requirements to separate and destroy information collected for age assurance. These protections don’t remove the need to read the notice explaining what information is collected, who handles it and what happens afterwards. If information appears to have been mishandled, complain to the organisation first; unresolved complaints can be taken to the OAIC.^[5]

For families, three questions are useful: Is this request coming from the genuine service? What information am I being asked to provide? What other age assurance options are available? Open the official app or website directly when checking a request. Don’t send identity information in response to an unexpected message simply because it carries a familiar logo.^[6]

How to talk with a child who feels left out

Start with the part of the situation your child is experiencing. They may be worried about missing invitations, losing a friendship group or becoming the last person to hear what happened. Ask which conversations they’re concerned about missing and who they most want to stay connected with. The answers give you something specific to address.

You might say: “I can see why you’re frustrated. You want to be included, and I want you to have good friendships. We’re going to follow the age requirements. Let’s work out another way for you to hear about plans and keep talking with your friends.”

For a younger child, a short explanation and a concrete alternative may be enough. With a teenager, leave room for discussion about fairness, platform design and privacy. eSafety provides conversation starters that families can adapt.^[7]

If a child says everyone else is still online, avoid turning the conversation into an investigation of every classmate. Bring it back to their actual concern: “Who are you missing out on talking to?” A practical answer to that question is usually more useful than a debate about the word “everyone”.

Help friendships continue in practical ways

Choose an alternative that serves the relationship. Depending on age and circumstances, that might mean phone calls, ordinary text messages, an appropriately configured messaging service or an arrangement between parents. Check eligibility, contact settings and supervision needs before choosing an app.

Ask schools, clubs and sporting groups to send essential information through channels families can access without a restricted account. A teenager shouldn’t have to rely on a social media feed to discover that training has moved. Invitations and team updates can usually be shared another way.

Make room for enjoyable time together too. A regular kick at the park, shared hobby, youth group, church activity or afternoon with a friend can create something reliable to look forward to. Help with practical barriers, including transport and organising a time.

Some children depend heavily on online connection because of distance, disability or difficulty finding belonging locally. eSafety recognises that losing account access can be particularly difficult in these circumstances. Work with your child to preserve access to suitable support services and trusted relationships. An occasional outing may be welcome while still leaving a significant connection gap to address.^[2]

Keep teaching online safety

Children can still encounter harmful content or difficult interactions outside restricted accounts. Continue discussing privacy, unwanted contact, group chats and how to get help. Agree that they can tell you about a worrying experience, including one that happened while breaking a family rule.^[7]

Our practical recommendation is to make that invitation explicit: “If something online frightens you, embarrasses you or feels wrong, come to me. We’ll deal with keeping you safe first.” You can address the boundary afterwards, when you understand what happened.

If you discover a hidden account, establish whether there’s an immediate safety concern before discussing consequences. Ask who your child has been talking to and whether anyone has pressured, threatened or requested something from them. Then plan the account closure and rebuild a workable communication arrangement. Avoid making promises about confidentiality that you couldn’t keep if protection or professional help becomes necessary.

When additional help may be needed

Seek advice from a GP, psychologist or school wellbeing professional if distress persists or your child’s sleep, school attendance, relationships or everyday functioning deteriorate. Support should address the broader difficulty, including friendship problems or isolation. For cyberbullying, image-based abuse or other online harm, use eSafety’s reporting guidance to identify the appropriate pathway.^[2]