AustraliaOnline Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024
Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 (Cth) No. 127, 2024, inserting Part 4A into the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth), No. 76, 2021
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What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.
In force 9 months, effective 10 December 2025.
A social media and minors rule binding private bodies.
As of 15 July 2026.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Requires a provider of an age-restricted social media platform to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having an account. Received Royal Assent on 10 December 2024 and the section 63D civil penalty obligation commenced 12 months later, on 10 December 2025.
If you get it wrong
Private right of actionNo
Penalties
Civil penalty of up to 150,000 penalty units for a body corporate, currently equivalent to about $49.5 million AUD, for systemic non-compliance under section 63D.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
eSafety Commissioner
Litigation
- Court
- High Court of Australia
- Docket
- Digital Freedom Project (for plaintiffs Macy Neyland and Noah Jones) v Commonwealth of Australia, High Court of Australia, plus a related challenge pursued by Reddit Inc
- Posture
- On 4 December 2025 the High Court agreed to hear a constitutional challenge based on the implied freedom of political communication. No injunction was granted, so the section 63D obligation took effect as scheduled on 10 December 2025 and remains in force while the challenge proceeds.
What it reaches
Age threshold
16
Covered services
Age-restricted social media platforms as defined in section 63C, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Twitch, Kick and Reddit. Section 63DB separately bars providers from relying on government issued identification documents or accredited digital ID services as the only means of age assurance; reasonable alternatives must be offered.
Verification methods
Facial estimation, Third party service, Transactional data, Self declaration
When LexLint raises it
operates_social_platform
Read the law
official Act text, Federal Register of Legislation
Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.