The definition of “age-restricted social media platforms” has been updated, to ensure the law is focused on features that pose the greatest risk of harm.
The updated rules further define “age-restricted social media platforms” as services with:
- Account-based recommender systems (algorithms), and/or at least one of the following features while users are logged in:
- endless-feeds (infinite scroll), designed to keep young people engaged for as long as possible by showing new content with no end point.
- feedback features (such as displaying ‘likes’ or ‘upvotes’), which create pressure for young people to seek approval and compare themselves to others.
- time-limited features (such as disappearing ‘stories’), designed to create a sense of urgency and encourage constant checking.
This update provides greater clarity for Australian families about the application of Australia’s world-leading social media minimum age, and ensures the law remains focused on features that drive addictive behaviour and pose the greatest risk of harm to young people.
Find out more:
Read about the social media minimum age