Last week, Australia approved the world’s first social media ban for children aged under 16. An emotional debate gripped that nation in advance of the parliamentary vote (34-19) that set a benchmark for jurisdictions around the world with one of the toughest and most sweeping regulations ever to target Big Tech.

• Ban to apply to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Reddit, and more
• From late 2025, Australians must be over 16 to use social media
• Tech giants face fines of A$40 million (US$33 million) for non-compliance
• Child rights groups opposed the law, parent groups supported it

It’s not yet clear how the ban will work, but it is clear that the law is directed at media companies, not parents. A trial of methods to enforce the new legislation will start in January, with the ban to take effect in one year.