Is Social Media Off-Limits for Teens?

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Australia just pulled the plug on social media for anyone under 16, making it the first country to order platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and others to boot young users—or risk fines topping $49.5 million, according to The Guardian.

The ban went live on December 10 and instantly turned digital life upside down for millions of teens.

Implementation has been glitchy from the start.

While verification services like k-ID processed hundreds of thousands of frantic age checks, plenty of underage users found loopholes—successfully “aging up” with a selfie or scrambling to swap phone numbers before being locked out, as first reported by NPR.

Some parents say the move is a relief, finally giving them backup to shut down compulsive scrolling, but others admit they’re helping kids dodge the rules with VPNs and fake accounts.

The government, for its part, is doubling down

The Prime Minister insists rules are worth enforcing even if some break them, drawing comparisons to the nation’s strict drinking age, according to The Guardian.

International governments, including those in Malaysia and Norway, are now eyeing similar bans, as reported by TIME.

Will the crackdown help protect kids or just inspire sneakier hacks? This sweeping move is loud, controversial, and far from perfect—exactly the kind of global test case every parent, tech exec, and teenager is watching.

Kevin is KnowTechie’s founder and executive editor. With over 15 years of blogging experience in the tech industry, Kevin has transformed what was once a passion project into a full-blown tech news publication. Shoot him an email at kevin@knowtechie.com.