Australia’s Social Media Ban: A Misguided Overreach

Banning teens from social media won’t fix what’s broken—it just shifts the blame.

(Credit: POLITICO)

Imagine being told you can’t use Instagram because of a law that treats you like you can’t be trusted. That’s the reality Australia is creating for kids under 16, who will soon be banned from using social media. Starting 2025, popular social media platforms will be legally required to block underage users, with companies facing fines of up to $50 million if they fail to comply.

On paper, the law sounds like a noble effort to protect children from the mental health challenges linked to social media. But in practice, it’s an outlandish overreach with no real shot at success. Worse, it ignores the root of the problem — how these platforms operate — and risks doing more harm than good.

Let’s start with the obvious issue: enforcement. The idea that tech companies can perfectly verify everyone’s age is wishful thinking. Kids are resourceful, and they’ve been bypassing age restrictions for years. In the U.K, for example, 22% of young social media users admit to faking their birthdates to access platforms, and I have no doubt that Australian kids have the same capabilities. Australia’s ban will definitely push teens toward loopholes, turning what was once open social media use into an underground activity that’s even harder to monitor. 

Australia’s so-called protective law is nothing short of punitive. Far from reducing teens' screen time, it will simply drive them to other digital escapes like gaming, achieving nothing but a futile game of whack-a-mole.

The bigger issue, though, is what this ban takes away. Social media isn’t just a frivolous pastime for teens. It’s where they connect with friends, find support, and explore the world. For some, especially those in rural or isolated areas, it’s even a lifeline. It provides opportunities to seek help, especially when other forms of support aren’t available. Forcing them offline means cutting them off from these connections at a time when they’re still figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world.

And let’s not forget the bigger picture. Social media is woven into our daily lives. It’s how we communicate, network, and even work. Denying teens access to these platforms isn’t just out of touch—it actively hurts their ability to adapt to the world they’re growing up in. “This ban is one of the most extreme violations of free speech on the world stage today,” said Paul Taske, associate director of the tech lobbying group.

Of course, social media isn’t perfect. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are built to keep users scrolling, with algorithms that often prioritize sensational or divisive content. This can lead to issues like cyberbullying, addiction, and mental health struggles. But banning kids isn’t the solution—it’s a distraction from the real issue: the business models.

These platforms profit by exploiting users’ attention, and that’s what needs regulation. Instead of kicking kids off social media altogether, governments should be focusing on holding tech companies accountable. They must regulate algorithms to prioritize age-appropriate content, increase transparency, or impose limits on how platforms can target young users. Banning kids is like putting a Band-Aid on a broken system and calling it fixed. It doesn’t address the root cause of the problem, and it leaves kids unprepared to navigate the digital world responsibly.

Worst of all, this law risks alienating an entire generation. Teens already feel misunderstood by policymakers who often seem out of touch with their realities. A blanket ban on social media will only deepen this divide, fostering resentment toward government institutions and creating a “forbidden fruit” dynamic that makes social media even more appealing.

When you treat young adults as though they can’t be trusted, you don’t protect them — you push them further away. And by doing so, you risk leaving them less connected to society, less engaged with their communities, and more skeptical of the very systems that are supposed to support them.

If Australia truly wants to protect young people, it needs to move beyond simplistic bans and focus on real solutions. Teach digital literacy in schools so teens can use social media responsibly. Invest in mental health resources that address the challenges kids face online. And hold tech companies accountable for the harmful ways they design and operate their platforms.

Social media isn’t going away. Instead of trying to keep kids off it, we must teach them how to learn to live with it and integrate into their lives in a positive manner.

This article earned an honorable mention in the Dreier Roundtable Op-Ed Contest.