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What happens when a country finally says, \u201cEnough\u201d to kids scrolling endlessly on social media? That moment has arrived in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Wednesday, Australia will become the first country in the world to enforce a legal minimum age for social media use, forcing major platforms like Instagram, TikTok<\/a> and YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n to block more than a million accounts belonging to users under 16. And this is not symbolic, platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to A$49.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the start of something much bigger than one country. Lawmakers across the world have been watching this moment closely, asking a question many parents have been asking for years, can governments really protect children from technology that is now woven into daily life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Australia\u2019s move is being seen as a live global experiment. Countries from Denmark to Malaysia, and even parts of the United States, are already preparing similar steps. The turning point came after leaked internal documents from Meta revealed that platforms were aware their products were contributing to body image issues and mental health struggles among teenagers, while publicly denying those links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile Australia is the first to adopt such restrictions, it is unlikely to be the last,\u201d said Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University, calling Australia\u2019s move \u201cthe canary in the coal mine\u201d for Big Tech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the UK is watching closely. A spokesperson for the British government confirmed they are monitoring Australia\u2019s approach as they begin tightening age restrictions on online content, adding that when it comes to children\u2019s safety, nothing is off the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inside Australia, this is about to be studied like never before. The country\u2019s eSafety Commissioner has partnered with Stanford University and 11 academics to track the impact of the ban on thousands of young Australians over the next two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n