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Social media only from 16: what Australia’s law shows and what it means for us

Australia is the first country to enforce a minimum age of 16 for social media. The EU and Germany are also debating age limits. An overview without alarm and without wishful thinking.

· 3 min read

By Redaktion familydevice

On this page
  1. What applies in Australia
  2. What we don’t know yet
  3. The debate in the EU and in Germany
  4. What parents can do now

Since 10 December 2025, large social media platforms in Australia must prevent children and teenagers under 16 from having their own account. This is being watched closely around the world, including in Brussels and Berlin. What is known so far, what is still open, and what does it mean for families in Germany?

What applies in Australia

Important for putting this into context: restricted accounts are not the same as children who no longer use social media. Some teenagers had several accounts, others are switching to new accounts or to services that are not covered.

What we don’t know yet

The debate in the EU and in Germany

So far there is no law in Germany setting a minimum age for social media. Until then, the minimum ages that the platforms set themselves in their terms of use apply.

What parents can do now

We will update this article as soon as the Australian evaluation publishes further results or the legal situation in Germany or the EU changes.

Sources

  1. [1]eSafety Commissioner (Australien) (2025): Social media age restrictions
  2. [2]eSafety Commissioner (Australien) (2026): Platforms restrict access to 4.7 million under-16 accounts across Australia
  3. [3]eSafety Commissioner (Australien) (2026): Social media age restrictions evaluation
  4. [4]eSafety Commissioner (Australien) (2026): Early insights from eSafety’s comprehensive evaluation project
  5. [5]Europäische Kommission (2025): Commission presents guidelines and age verification app prototype for a safer online space for children
  6. [6]Europäisches Parlament (2025): Children should be at least 16 to access social media, say MEPs
  7. [7]Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (2026): Handlungsempfehlungen der Expertenkommission „Kinder- und Jugendschutz in der digitalen Welt“

Further reading