Australia’s new social media ban for children under 16 will now apply to Reddit and Kick, joining major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and Snapchat under the country’s world-first online safety rule.
Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed that the ban will take effect from December 10, and warned tech companies there would be “no excuse for failure” in enforcing age restrictions. The decision came after the eSafety Commission ruled that Reddit and Kick met the criteria for services whose main purpose is to enable online social interaction.
Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to stop Australians under 16 from creating accounts could face fines of up to $49.5 million. The commission said its assessments would continue and that the list of restricted platforms would remain “dynamic.”
Kick, an Australian-based live-streaming service competing with Twitch, has around 258,000 average viewers, while Reddit ranks as the seventh most visited website globally. Both platforms were informed months ago that they might fall under the ban and were invited to make submissions before a final decision was made.
Despite the tight implementation timeline, major platforms like TikTok, Meta, and Snapchat have confirmed they will comply. Snapchat plans to allow underage users to download their data before accounts are locked, TikTok is working on account suspension options, and Meta will offer similar features for Facebook and Instagram.
Minister Wells emphasized that the ban aims to protect young Australians from “predatory algorithms, harmful content, and toxic popularity metrics.” She said, “We are mandating that platforms use their sophisticated technology to protect children, not manipulate them.”
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant added that delaying children’s access to social media gives them time to grow without exposure to “powerful, unseen forces of opaque algorithms and endless scroll.” Parents are encouraged to visit the eSafety website for guidance and webinars explaining the new rules.
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Not all online services will be affected. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Messenger, and gaming platforms like Roblox, are exempt since they fall under categories like communication, gaming, education, or professional development rather than social networking.
