Australia’s under-16 social media ban unlikely to trigger creator exodus, insiders say

Australia’s under-16 social media ban won’t collapse the country’s creator economy, but is likely to reshape the way influencers package their content for younger audiences, industry insiders have said.

The law, which comes into effect on 10 December, will require platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Facebook, Twitch and Reddit to block accounts for anyone under 16, or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($32 million) for non-compliance.

Despite fears the move would prompt a wave of creator relocations, those speaking to The Daily Influence said the shift is more likely to hit advertisers and youth-focused brands than creators themselves.

Australian creator and strategist Dominique Acciarito said established creators are far less exposed than public debate suggests.

“This ban won’t collapse the creator economy,” she told The Daily Influence. “Most established creators have predominantly adult audiences. The space will adapt just fine.”

Agency leaders say the sharper impact will fall on brands that rely on Meta and TikTok targeting to reach teens and families.

Sarah Young, Managing Director at Melbourne-based Papermill Agency, said youth-facing campaigns will need to be rebuilt almost overnight as under-16 accounts disappear across major platforms.

“The ban will push brands to rethink how they reach younger audiences safely and compliantly,” she said. “We’ll likely see more universal storytelling, clearer age-appropriate creative and a move towards more regulated environments such as TV and gaming.”

Young added that brands may increasingly turn to in-person events and experiences, where safety and age controls can be managed directly.

Australia’s new rules require platforms to begin removing under-16 accounts and preventing new sign-ups, while offering users the ability to download their data and hold their accounts in a frozen state until they come of age. The government has ruled out relying solely on ID checks, meaning each service must design its own age-verification system.

TikTok has said it will adopt a multi-layered approach using behavioural signals and machine-learning models. Snapchat plans to blend user behaviour with declared birth dates while Meta has declined to publish its detection methods, arguing that transparency could help underage users evade safeguards. Platforms will also need to provide appeals, often using video age-estimation tools.

Some services, including YouTube Kids, WhatsApp, Messenger Kids and Google Classroom – are exempt, while mainstream YouTube is not.

The move places Australia at the centre of a broader global recalibration of digital youth safety. Regulators in the EU are reviewing the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, with a focus on safeguarding minors and clarifying how creators fit within Europe’s media regime. While the EU is unlikely to copy Australia’s outright ban, policymakers are increasingly aligned on tougher age-assurance, safer design requirements and greater algorithmic transparency.

Compared with the UK and parts of the US – where protections rely on privacy-by-default settings, algorithm limits and data rules – Australia’s stance remains the most interventionist.

Young said the shift will force brands to rebalance where and how they reach younger audiences. “[They’ll] gravitate toward platforms that demonstrate predictable policy environments, clear safety standards, and stronger moderation.”