X Complies with Australia's Landmark Social Media Ban for Under-16s: What This Means for Online Safety

Australia has established itself as the first nation worldwide to implement a ban on social media access for children under the age of 16.

On Wednesday, Elon Musk's platform X announced its intention to adhere to Australia's groundbreaking legislation restricting social media use among minors.

"We have no alternative—this is a requirement under Australian law," the company stated as the regulations took effect.

X, previously operating as Twitter, was the final platform among 10 restricted social media services to outline its implementation strategy for Australia's prohibition.

All major platforms—including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok—have now committed to measures for removing young users from their services.

These companies risk penalties of up to US$33 million if they fail to implement reasonable measures to eliminate accounts belonging to Australia-based users under 16 years of age.

The Australian government maintains that these unprecedented regulatory actions are necessary to safeguard children from "predatory algorithms" that expose them to bullying, sexual content, and violent material on their devices.