The Australian Government says the aim is simple: protect younger Australians from harmful online content. Everywhere you go, you’ll see people — kids, teens, adults —with their heads buried in their phones. But it’s younger Australians who have grown up entirely in the digital age. For them, constant online engagement feels normal.
I’m old enough to remember life before the internet and before mobile phones, yet even I’ll admit I’m a tech addict. I love technology, I work with it every day, and I totally understand how easy it is to get absorbed. That’s part of the problem — if adults struggle with balance, kids have almost no chance.
Among the biggest motivations for the ban are the increases in online harassment, bullying and harmful social pressure. Unrealistic expectations — especially around body image — are pushed constantly through ‘perfect’ photos, curated lives and influencer culture. Many young people now measure their worth against these standards, and sadly, this has contributed to serious mental health impacts, including self-harm. Protecting children from that pressure is one of the central goals of the ban.
Then there’s the issue of dangerous online challenges. One of the most infamous was the Tide Pod Challenge, where teens filmed themselves biting or eating laundry pods. It started as a meme but became a real public-safety concern. Trends like this spread fast, and kids often join in without understanding the risks.
Alongside that are the ongoing problems of bullying, extortion and sextortion. Unlike years ago, bullying doesn’t end when a child leaves school — it follows them home, 24/7, through their devices. Sextortion is an even more serious threat, where children are tricked into sending compromising images and then blackmailed for more pictures or money. In some cases, AI-generated fake images of schoolgirls have been created and shared without their knowledge. It’s frightening, and it’s happening right now.
So how will the ban actually work? As of December 10, the restrictions will come into effect. We could wake up to millions of under-16s suddenly locked out of their accounts — or even having their accounts deleted. What we still don’t know is how social media companies will determine a user’s age. At this stage, the process is unclear.
One thing these companies excel at is tracking behaviour — likes, shares, comments, viewing habits. Their algorithms often know more about us than we realise. But using that information to reliably determine who is underage is a different challenge altogether.
There’s also talk about the use of VPNs, software that lets users appear as though they’re connecting from a different region. People have used VPNs for years to get around things such as Netflix region locks, and it’s almost guaranteed that some teens will try the same to bypass age restrictions.
Parents are divided. I’ve spoken to a few around the office, and the opinions vary widely. Some say they won’t enforce the ban and will let their kids try to access social media anyway. Others are worried about the emotional fallout — how their children will react when platforms they’ve grown up with suddenly disappear from their lives.
Some parents support the ban but still worry about platforms outside the restrictions — especially Roblox, which has been in the media for repeated issues involving adult predators contacting children. The concern isn’t only about social media as we know it, but the broader online environments kids interact with every day.
Ultimately, time will tell. We should have a much clearer picture next week once the ban takes effect.
I hope you found this update helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email me at askatech@mmg.com.au.
