Social media minimum age

Age-restricted social media platforms now need to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts. This follows amendments to the Online Safety Act 2021 in November 2024.

Services included in the social media minimum age

'Age-restricted social media platforms' include services that meet the following conditions:

• the sole purpose, or significant purpose is to enable social interaction between 2 or more end-users
• the service allows end-users to link to, or interact with, some or all of the other end-users
• the service allows end-users to post material on the service.

The definition casts a wide net, so that the minimum age obligation applies broadly to the range of services we know and understand to be social media.

A list of platforms the eSafety Commissioner considers to be age-restricted is available on the eSafety website.

eSafety will continue to update their advice on age-restricted platforms, noting assessments are ongoing.

The onus is on social media platforms to comply with the law, meaning there are no penalties for children and young people under 16 if they have access to an age-restricted platform, or for their parents or carers.

Age-restricted social media platforms may face penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD if they don't take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts on their platforms.

Services not covered by the social media minimum age

On 29 July 2025, the Minister for Communications made the Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025 (the Rules), which specify the types of online services not covered by the SMMA.

Under 16s continue to have access to messaging apps, online gaming, professional networking and professional development services, and services that are primarily for the purposes of education and health support.

The Rules strike a balance between protecting young people from the harms associated with social media use, and allowing ongoing access to services that are essential for communication, education and health.

The Rules were informed by consultation with community and industry stakeholders, parents and young people, alongside evidence-based advice from the eSafety Commissioner. The Minister requested advice from the eSafety Commissioner on 12 June 2025. The eSafety Commissioner responded on 19 June 2025 with a letter and detailed advice.

On 16 September 2025, eSafety released regulatory guidance, which sets out guidelines for industry on reasonable steps to comply with the social media minimum age obligation.

Resources

Download a digital information kit, which has a range of resources—including poster, fact sheet, flyer, social media posts and a PowerPoint template—to help share information and support channels with young people, parents, carers and educators.

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner has resources explaining what personal information may be handled by age-restricted social media platforms and third-party age assurance providers, as well as tips on how you can best protect your personal information.

More information

For more information about the social media minimum age:

• read our fact sheet
• visit the SMMA hub on the eSafety website.

Consumer research

In August 2024 the department commissioned research into Australians' attitudes towards the use of technologies that establish user age for access to online services.

The Consumer Research Report was prepared by the Social Research Centre, and found:

• Australians broadly understand the need for age assurance as a means of preventing young people from accessing inappropriate content and services online.
• Around nine in 10 adults express support for age assurance
• 73% of children who would use a website that checked for age understand why websites checked for age
• Willingness to use age assurance technologies varies based on demographic factors and the type of online service being accessed – with higher acceptance for adult-oriented services compared to general services.
• 80% of adults said the presence of age assurance would either not affect, or would positively influence, their likelihood to use a website.
• The research also highlights that Australians have little trust in digital platforms to securely handle personal data, which is more significant for those with previous experiences of a data breach.

For more information, read the Consumer Research Report.

Age Assurance Technology Trial

The Age Assurance Technology Trial is a key element of the Australian Government's $6.5 million Age Assurance Trial.

The technology trial was conducted independently of Government by the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS).

The trial assessed a range of technologies including age verification, age estimation, age inference, successive validation, parental controls and parental consent. It also examined how these technologies operate within the broader technology stack and how age assurance is integrated across different layers of the digital ecosystem.

The report is one of a number of inputs that the eSafety Commissioner considered in formulating guidelines on the 'reasonable steps' that platforms can take to comply with the social media minimum age obligation.

For more information, read the final report for the Age Assurance Technology Trial or visit www.ageassurance.com.au.