is Facebook banned for under-16s in Australia?
Facebook is age-restricted — under 16 cannot hold an account. category: social networking.
why is Facebook banned?
Facebook (owned by Meta) is an age-restricted platform under the Act. While teen Facebook usage is lower than TikTok or Snapchat, Meta is one of the five operators under active eSafety compliance investigation.
what changes for Facebook
Under-16 Australian Facebook accounts are being deactivated. This includes accounts linked to Messenger — but the Messenger service itself is exempt, so messaging access on a separate sign-in remains available.
what happens to existing under-16 accounts
Existing Facebook accounts for under-16 Australians are being removed. Messenger chats attached to the account may continue to be accessible via Messenger directly, since Messenger is exempt.
what parents should do
- •check whether your child uses Facebook mainly to message family — Messenger works on its own and is exempt
- •help them save photos or posts they want to keep
- •discuss why family keep asking them to join Facebook groups — sometimes a shared calendar or group text achieves the same thing
alternatives for under-16s
- •Messenger (exempt from ban)
- •family group WhatsApp
- •shared calendars for events
law: Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024
started: 10 December 2025
regulator: eSafety Commissioner
platform penalty: up to $49.5 million
sources
view the full social media ban guide
all banned and exempt platforms, parent guidance, enforcement status
this guide summarises the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 as it applied on 23 april 2026. eSafety may reclassify services; check eSafety Commissioner for the current platform list. mini mode is not affiliated with any government agency or platform.