‘Your account has been locked’: What kids now see on social apps

Australian kids attempting to log into Snapchat, and soon TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, are being met with lock-out screens as the nation's world-first ban on under-16s accessing social media takes effect.

View in browser 10th December 2025

Good morning Gurpartap, Today is a historic day. Today is the day Australia becomes a world leader in protecting children online. The social media laws that have come into effect will change lives. They will save lives. This world-first law has been almost two years in the making. On May 19 last year, News Corp Australia launched the Let Them Be Kids campaign advocating for children under 16 to be restricted from social media because of the obvious physical, mental and emotional harm the tech platforms were having on Australia's children. Critically, the campaign had the support of parents who had tragically known better than most the devastating toll social media can have on young children. Their children had taken their own lives, unable to continue to fight the predators, bullies and powerful algorithms that had caused them so much pain. These laws are their legacy. We are incredibly proud of the role Let Them Be Kids has played in helping make these laws a reality. But the real heroes here are the incredibly brave and determined parents we had the pleasure of working with to deliver this result. Let Them Be Kids gave these courageous parents a voice when no one was listening. And now the world is. Melanie Pilling Editor, The Saturday Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail 'Your account has been locked': What kids now see on social apps Australian kids attempting to log into Snapchat, and soon TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, are being met with lock-out screens as the nation's world-first ban on under-16s accessing... READ MORE   Moment that sparked the social media ban A unique alliance of grieving parents, journalists and politicians achieved what tech giants thought impossible — the world's first ban on social media for children under 16. READ MORE   Bring back books: The hidden benefit of social media ban What should teens and young children do to fill the void left by social media? 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