Coverage dated December 7, 2025 to December 11, 2025

Australia bans social media for teenagers 16 and younger

Headline from KVIA El Paso, from the development of Dec 10, 2025

Newest development Dec 12, 2025 · 3 reportsThe social media ban is just the start of Australia's forthcoming restrictions—and teens have legitimate concerns

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Watch the video above to learn more about Australia's new ban on social media for teenagers 16 and younger. Could other countries do the same? Should parents consider following suit and banning social media for their teens? Experts weigh in on the matter.

KVIA El Paso's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

3 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Teens Are Already Outsmarting Australia’s Social Media Ban

    Headline from Forbes ·

  2. Names this update

    Australia bans social media for teenagers 16 and younger

    Headline from KVIA El Paso ·

  3. Newest

    The social media ban is just the start of Australia's forthcoming restrictions—and teens have legitimate concerns

    Headline from Phys ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

89 articles, oldest first.

  1. The Guardian

    The social media ban will leave young Australians in the dark on news and politics. It’s not fair | Leo Puglisi (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    So many teenagers learn about the big stories through TikTok and Instagram. They won’t suddenly turn to newspapers and TV bulletins

  2. Digital Journal

    'Not black or white': Teens worldwide react to Australia social media ban (opens Digital Journal)

    Published

    Digital Journal's feed description

    Australia's landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries.

  3. The Guardian

    How is Australia’s social media ban affecting you and your family? (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Tell us about your experience of the social media ban for under-16s in Australia and how it is affecting you or your children

  4. CNET

    Australia's Bold Move: No Social Media Access for Those Under 16 (opens CNET)

    Published

    CNET's feed description

    Countries around the world will be watching to see how well the new ban works ... or doesn't.

  5. Bloomberg

    World Watches First Teen Social Media Ban Kick Off in Australia (opens Bloomberg)

    Published

    Bloomberg's feed description

    Australia’s social media ban for youths took effect Wednesday, a landmark move that’s drawn global attention at a time governments are increasingly enacting rules to shield minors from toxic content and cyberbullying.

  6. The Daily Signal

    Australia's Social Media Ban for Children Takes Effect (opens The Daily Signal)

    Published

    The Daily Signal's feed description

    Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16.

  7. UPI

    Australian youth lose social media access amid national ban (opens UPI)

    Published

    UPI's feed description

    Australian youth will lose access to their social media accounts amid a national law that takes effect on Wednesday and is the world's first such ban.

  8. The Conversation US

    Should the UK follow Australia’s under-16s social media ban? It could do more harm than good (opens The Conversation US)

    Published

    The Conversation US's feed description

    Children may be put off telling adults about something harmful they’re not supposed to have seen.

  9. CNN

    Millions of Australian children just lost access to social media. What’s happening and will it work? (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Children across Australia will wake up on Wednesday with no access to their social media accounts under a world-first ban designed to shelter those under 16 from addictive algorithms, online predators, and digital bullies.

  10. Fortune

    Australia will start banning kids from social media this week—and Malaysia is getting ready to do the same (opens Fortune)

    Published

    Fortune's feed description

    Other countries are considering less drastic ways to control teenagers' social media use. On Nov. 30, Singapore said it would ban the use of smartphones on secondary school campuses.

  11. Deutsche Welle

    Australia social media ban: Children feel isolated, ignored – DW (opens Deutsche Welle)

    Published

    Deutsche Welle's feed description

    The world is watching as Australia becomes the first country to ban under-16s from social media. Adults support it but children consider the ban an attack on their rights, which will isolate some of the most vulnerable.

  12. The Guardian

    Australia’s world-first social media ban begins as millions of children and teens lose access to accounts (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Accounts held by users under 16 must be removed on apps that include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads under ban

  13. NBC News

    Australia launches youth social media ban it says will be the world's 'first domino' (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    Can children and teenagers be forced off social media en masse?

  14. Al Jazeera

    Australia’s social media ban for young people takes effect (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Children under 16 can no longer access 10 of the world’s biggest platforms, including Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

  15. CNN

    Should parents outside Australia adopt the country’s social media ban? Our kids may thank us later (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Your children don’t need a ban on social media for teens under age 16 for you to remove their access to social media. We know it makes them less healthy and happy

  16. Al Jazeera

    Why is Australia banning social media for teenagers? (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Critics say new law is ‘normalising surveillance’ for young people and risks cutting them off from support networks.

  17. Local News 8

    Australia has just relieved its anxiety over teens on social media – or has it? (opens Local News 8)

    Published

    Local News 8's feed description

    By Hilary Whiteman, Angus Watson, CNN Sydney, Australia (CNN) — For parents and campaigners who’ve long argued that incessant scrolling is damaging young minds, the start of Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s on Wednesday is just the beginning.

  18. CNN

    Submit your questions for ‘Should Kids Be Allowed on Social Media?’ (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    Australia now bans social media for children and teens under 16. The world-first nationwide legislation went into effect on December 10.

  19. ABC 7 San Francisco

    Australia's social media ban for kids under 16 goes into effect (opens ABC 7 San Francisco)

    Published

    ABC 7 San Francisco's feed description

    Australia's social media ban for children 16 and under officially went into effect at midnight on Dec.10.

  20. Time

    What to Know About Australia’s Social Media Ban for Kids Under 16 (opens Time)

    Published

    Time's feed description

    The landmark law—the first of its kind in the world—kicked in on Wednesday.

  21. The Conversation US

    Australia’s social media ban won’t stop cyberbullying (opens The Conversation US)

    Published

    The Conversation US's feed description

    A technical fix can’t solve a social problem.

  22. Fox5 Atlanta

    Social media ban in Australia starts for children under 16: Here's how it works (opens Fox5 Atlanta)

    Published

    Fox5 Atlanta's feed description

    Hundreds of thousands of social media accounts are being deactivated as the world’s first social media ban goes into effect now in Australia for kids under 16. Here’s how it will work.

  23. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Should US follow Australia and ban young kids from social media? (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    Australia's social media ban for children under 16 is now in effect, but should the U.S. do the same?

  24. CNN

    Australia is banning young teens from social media. Could it happen in the US? (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    A world-first ban on major social media platforms for children under the age of 16 goes into effect in Australia on Wednesday. And regulators, parents and teenagers around the globe are watching closely to see how it plays out.

  25. Phys

    Australia's under-16 social media ban won't change the reality of growing up online (opens Phys)

    Published

    Phys's feed description

    Australia is about to test one of the world's boldest interventions in child digital life by putting age restrictions on social media for children under 16.

Showing the first 25 of 54 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.