The Australian government announced that a new rule will start on December 10. This rule will ban children under 16 from making accounts on major social media platforms. The rule will be used across the whole country. The goal is to protect young people from online danger. A group in Sydney called the Digital Freedom Project filed a case in the High Court. The group said the rule limits young people’s right to share political ideas. Communications Minister Anika Wells told Parliament that the government will continue with the plan. A Sydney law firm is helping two 15-year-old students bring the case to court.

Many technology companies are already preparing for the change. Meta sent messages to thousands of Australian users who may be under 16. The messages told them to save their online information and delete their accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads before December 10. The new rule also requires platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube to block underage accounts. If the platforms do not follow the rule, they may have to pay fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars. Officials said the rule is important because online problems such as cyberbullying, scams, and exploitation are increasing. Malaysia also approved a similar plan for 2026 and is studying ways to check a user’s age.