Society+Culture

Will Australia's social media ban for under-16s work?

RVST
Publisher
Updated
Oct 19, 2025 2:51 AM
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Australia will ban children under the age of 16 from using social media, after its parliament approved the world's strictest laws. Tech companies could be fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m) if they don't comply. But as many parents know, keeping teenagers off social media is a challenge. So, can a ban like this really work? And how might it be implemented?

In this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC's cyber correspondent Joe Tidy and our correspondent in Australia, Katy Watson.

0:00 Introduction & social media as a parent

3:03 What is Australia proposing?

5:28 What do young Australians think it?

6:10 Teens as content creators

7:47 Potential dangers of social media

9:40 Research into impact of social media

12:01 What are the arguments in Australia?

13:33 View from an online safety expert

14:10 How could the ban be enforced?

16:50 What are the other concerns over the ban?

17:36 Could tech companies do more?

18:31 What tech firms think about the ban

19:38 Do Australians think it will succeed?

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