New rules to support our world-leading under-16 social media laws were tabled in parliament last week.

The Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025 are in line with advice from the eSafety Commission.

The rules define services that will be subject to the social media minimum age law – social media accounts that allow users to interact and post material. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube, amongst other platforms.

Delaying access to social media until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.

Online services such as online gaming, messaging apps, health and education services will not be captured by the social media law.