Canberra, Australia – In a bold step toward safeguarding young minds in the digital age, Australia has expanded its pioneering legislation by adding Reddit and the livestreaming platform Kick to the roster of social media sites prohibited from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts. The announcement, made on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, comes just weeks before the law's enforcement begins on December 10, 2025, marking what officials describe as a "world-first legal obligation" to shield children from the potential harms of online platforms.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, speaking at a press conference in Canberra, emphasized the urgency of the measure. "From December 10, Reddit and Kick will join giants like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Threads, and YouTube in this critical endeavor," she stated. The expansion brings the total number of designated platforms to nine, reflecting the government's commitment to adapt the law as the digital landscape evolves.
Non-compliance carries steep consequences: companies face fines of up to A$50 million (approximately US$33 million), a penalty designed to underscore the seriousness of the obligation. "We have met with several of the social media platforms in the past month so that they understand there is no excuse for failure to implement this law," Rowland told reporters, her tone firm yet measured. She highlighted the irony in the tech industry's practices: "Online platforms use technology to target children with chilling control. We are merely asking that they use that same technology to keep children safe online."
Overseeing enforcement will be eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, whose office has been at the forefront of Australia's digital safety initiatives since its establishment in 2015. Inman Grant welcomed the additions, noting that the list of restricted platforms is not static. "It will evolve with new technologies," she said during the briefing. "We’ll also look for unintended consequences and we’ll be gathering evidence so that others could learn from Australia’s achievements." Her comments point to a proactive research agenda, including studies on how the ban might influence children's sleep patterns, social interactions, and physical activity levels—areas where excessive screen time has been linked to adverse effects in peer-reviewed studies.
This legislative push stems from the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Age Restriction) Bill 2024, which passed both houses of Parliament in late August 2024 after heated debates. The bill was born out of widespread concerns over the mental health toll of social media on youth. A 2023 report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that 45% of Australian children aged 8-12 had encountered harmful content online, including cyberbullying and body image pressures. Globally, the World Health Organization has echoed these worries, estimating that one in seven adolescents experiences mental health disorders exacerbated by digital media.
The addition of Reddit and Kick is particularly significant given their unique ecosystems. Reddit, with its forum-style communities, has long been a hub for niche discussions but has faced scrutiny for unmoderated content ranging from misinformation to explicit material. Kick, a rising rival to Twitch launched in 2022, specializes in live streaming and has drawn criticism for lax content controls, attracting high-profile streamers amid controversies over gambling promotions and toxic chat environments. Both platforms were notified of their inclusion last month, giving them a narrow window to develop age-verification systems compliant with the law.
Australia's eSafety office has outlined flexible implementation guidelines, encouraging platforms to employ a mix of methods such as facial recognition, credit card checks, or government-issued ID uploads—while prioritizing privacy-preserving options like third-party age estimation tools. Early pilots with Meta (parent of Facebook and Instagram) have tested biometric-free alternatives, but details remain under wraps to prevent circumvention.
The initiative has garnered international acclaim, positioning Australia as a trailblazer in child online protection. In September 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the approach during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. "I am inspired by Australia’s common sense approach to protecting our children online," she said, signaling potential ripple effects across the European Union, where the Digital Services Act already mandates risk assessments for minors but stops short of outright bans. Similar sentiments have come from the United Kingdom, where the Online Safety Act 2023 imposes duties on platforms but allows under-16 access with parental consent. New Zealand's government, too, announced in October 2025 plans to consult on mirroring aspects of the Australian model.
Yet, the law is not without detractors. Over 140 academics, led by a coalition from the University of Sydney and the Australian National University, penned an open letter in The Guardian last week, arguing that mandatory age verification could erode user privacy on a massive scale. "Requiring identity proofs risks creating a surveillance state, where innocuous activities demand personal data surrender," the letter stated, citing precedents like the UK's abandoned porn age-check scheme scrapped in 2019 over privacy fears. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a U.S.-based digital rights group, has amplified these concerns globally, warning that such measures could disproportionately affect marginalized youth who lack easy access to verification documents.
Minister Rowland addressed the criticisms head-on, reiterating the government's balanced stance. "We aim to keep personal data as private as possible while ensuring children’s online safety," she assured, pointing to built-in safeguards like data minimization principles and independent audits by the eSafety Commissioner. Inman Grant added that ongoing consultations with privacy advocates, including the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, will refine enforcement to mitigate risks.
Broader context reveals a global reckoning with Big Tech's influence on youth. In the United States, surgeons general have called for warning labels on social media akin to tobacco products, while states like California and New York have enacted school cellphone bans. Australia's move, however, is uniquely prescriptive, betting on enforcement over education. Economists estimate implementation costs for platforms could exceed A$100 million collectively, but proponents argue the societal savings—from reduced mental health interventions to safer digital citizenship—far outweigh them.
As December 10 approaches, all eyes are on compliance. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman hinted in a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread that the platform is investing in AI-driven age gates, while Kick's founders issued a statement vowing "full cooperation" to maintain their Australian user base. For families, the change promises a respite: parents like Sarah Thompson from Melbourne, quoted in a ABC News feature, expressed relief. "My 14-year-old spends hours scrolling; this could give us back family time without the constant worry."
Critics, however, fear a black market for fake IDs or VPN workarounds, echoing challenges faced by similar bans in China and South Korea. Inman Grant acknowledged these possibilities, pledging a "dynamic monitoring" framework with public reporting dashboards launching in early 2026.
Australia's gamble reflects a philosophical shift: from viewing the internet as an unbridled frontier to a regulated commons where children's well-being trumps unfettered access. Whether it sets a precedent or sparks backlash remains to be seen, but for now, it underscores a simple truth—technology's promise must not come at the expense of the vulnerable.
As the nation braces for this digital dawn, one question lingers: Will the world follow suit, or will Australia's isolation make it a cautionary outlier? Only time, and perhaps the platforms' compliance reports, will tell.
