Social media age restrictions consultation

Social media age restrictions for Australians under the age of 16 are due to take effect by 11 December 2025. The age restrictions will be implemented in line with the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024.

The new law requires age-restricted social media services to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent children under 16 from having an account on their platform. eSafety’s consultation process will inform the development of guidelines about those reasonable steps. The consultation will NOT be about the Social Media Minimum Age Act, as that has already been passed by Parliament.

eSafety will work with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to ensure the guidelines reflect privacy protections. Under the new law, this will include prohibiting the use or disclosure of information collected for age assurance purposes in a way that constitutes an interference with privacy.

‘Age assurance’ is an umbrella term which includes both age verification (determining a person’s age to a high level of accuracy, such as through the use of identity documents) and age estimation (providing an approximate age, for example through the use of facial or voice analysis, or analysing certain signals to infer an age or age range).

It will be up to the Minister for Communications, not eSafety, to make rules about any specific services, or classes or services, that are included or excluded from the age restrictions. The Minister for Communications will also decide when the age restrictions must take effect, but the law requires that date to be no later than 11 December 2025.

Once the age restrictions come into effect, eSafety will be responsible for monitoring, assessing and enforcing industry’s compliance with them.

Read more about the social media age restrictions.

eSafety recognises the need for the guidelines on social media age restrictions to be informed by evidence.

We are interested in hearing from those with expertise, insights and lived experience in the following areas:

• The use of age assurance technologies and implementation considerations.
• Possible impacts on users of age-restricted social media platforms, including in relation to protective factors that support and build resilience for young people and families, as well as possible impacts on privacy and digital rights.
• Insights into possible circumvention or unintended consequences of the age restrictions, and how to reduce these.
• Information to help eSafety understand how best to effectively communicate changes to the community, including to young people, parents, carers and educators. 

We will consider all expressions of interest to ensure the consultations include a wide range of perspectives, knowledge and expertise – including diverse voices from across Australia and the international community.

Updates on the consultations will be published on the eSafety website. 

You can express your interest in participating in the consultation by completing the expression of interest form by 18 May 2025.

Selected representatives will be notified and invited to participate in consultation meetings or roundtables starting in June 2025. 

Expression of interest

November 2024 

Social Media Minimum Age Bill introduced to Parliament. A short public consultation held – read eSafety’s submission.
 

December 2024

Bill passed and received Royal Assent, becoming an Act. Under the Act, certain platforms are required to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s having accounts. 
 

5-18 May 2025

Expressions of interest invited for participation in eSafety’s consultation on the best way to implement social media age restrictions for under-16s.
 

June 2025

eSafety’s consultation on the best way to implement social media age restrictions for under-16s starts.
 

11 December 2025

Age restrictions to take effect by this date.

eSafety stands ready: Read eSafety’s statement, issued when the Online Safety Amendment received Royal Assent.

Australian Government fact sheet: Read information on the new legislation to enforce a minimum age for access to social media, and the age assurance technology trial.

Youth perspective: Read eSafety’s research into young people’s attitudes towards online pornography and age assurance.

A fairer fight: protecting childhood and adolescence in a digital world: Read the eSafety Commissioner's speech about how age assurance technologies form an important part of a holistic approach to protecting children online.