What Happens When You Kick Millions of Teens Off Social Media? Australia's About to Find Out

27 million people live in Australia. But there's a big change coming if you're under 16, reports CNN:

From December 10, sites that meet the Australian government's definition of an 'age-restricted social media platform' will need to show that they're doing enough to eject or block children under 16 or face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million). The list includes Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube...

Meta says it'll start deactivating accounts and blocking new Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts from December 4. Under-16s are being encouraged to download their content. Snap says users can deactivate their accounts for up to three years, or until they turn 16...

There's another sting in the ban, too, coming at the end of the Australian school year before the summer break in the southern hemisphere. For eight weeks, there'll be no school, no teachers — and no scrolling. For millions of children, it could be the first school break they spend in years without the company of time-killing social media algorithms, or an easy way to contact their friends. Even for parents who support the ban, it could be a very long summer.

'There's every chance that bans will spread...' the article argues. 'Other countries around the world are taking notes as Australia explores new territory that some say mirrors safety evolutions of years past — the dawning realization that maybe cars need safety belts, and that perhaps cigarettes should come with some kind of health warning.' And according to the Associated Press, Malaysia 'has also announced plans to ban social media accounts for children under 16 starting in 2026.'

But CNN reports few teenagers in Australia knew about its impending ban on social media, judging by a show of hands at one high school auditorium. Teenagers in the audience had two questions. 'Can you get your account back when you turn 16?'
'What if I lie about my age?'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.