General News
14 December, 2025
Ban on social media closes in
As December 10 approaches, there are mixed reactions from local groups and individuals on whether the ban on social media is needed for children under 16.
From that date, providers that the Australian government has deemed to be included in the ban on socials will need to deactivate all accounts for users under age, and prevent them holding an account until they turn 16.
When Wimmera Mallee News asked the question online if readers agreed or disagreed with the ban implementation, it was clear that a lot of people felt passionately about the topic.
While a lot of people agreed with the ban, particularly when it came to Snapchat, the post also attracted numerous comments against the restriction.
"Let me parent my child," commented Larna Doodle, to which numerous readers agreed by liking the statement.
"Parenting is the responsibility of parents, not the government," Selena Stanley wrote.
Jackie Doherty and Malisa Taylor agreed.
"No. The government should stay out and let families look after their kids," Ms Doherty wrote, while Ms Taylor commented: "It's up to the parents or their guardians if they do not want them on social media, not you strangers."
It comes as instant messaging provider Snapchat announced the implementation of new age verification measures, in compliance with Australia's Social Media Minimum Age Act.
Snappers believed to be under 16 began receiving notifications about the age verification a fortnight ago, with the provider using either their age declared or inferred age modelling signals to alert the appropriate users.
All users believed to be under 16 will need to use a method of verification, including ConnectID (bank verified), identification of photo, or facial age estimation to be able to continue using the service.
Other applications and providers, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitch, are expected to follow these methods of verification.
Companies that own these services could face fines of up to $50 million if they do not take reasonable steps to stop children under 16 from having accounts.
However, not all applications and services will be blocked, with the likes of Messenger Kids, WhatsApp and YouTube Kids not expected to be banned.