Australia’s new social media law beginning to have an impact
On the 31st March 2026, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner published a compliance update which reported on the Commissioner’s findings in the three months since the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 came into effect.
The Act requires relevant social media companies to take reasonable steps to ensure children under 16 do not have accounts on their platforms. The report outlined that over 310,000 such accounts had been removed, adding to the 4.7 million accounts which had been removed by these platforms by mid-December 2025, as outlined in a previous public compliance update in January.
The report then highlighted that some platforms have implemented or improved practical controls which ensure that children under 16 do not have access to social media platforms targeted by the Act, but that a “substantial number” of children under 16 still retain accounts. Additionally, platforms such as Facebook and TikTok were said to be under investigation for non-compliance, with decisions about enforcement actions expected to be made by mid-2026.
For further information, see:
- The eSafety Commissioner’s March 2026 compliance update
- The Privacy Laws & Business 39th International Conference 3-day programme, which has two sessions on children’s issues on Monday 6th July