Social‑media bans are spreading — evasion is common
- Norway’s Labour government said Friday it will send Parliament a bill this year to ban social media for children under 16, extending a policy wave that Australia put into force in December. - Australia’s regulator says platforms had to start blocking under-16 accounts on December 10, 2025, but a new survey found more than 60% of 12- to 15-year-olds still use at least one platform. - California is moving in the same direction with A.B. 1709, showing the push is widening even as privacy critics warn age checks can overblock and be evaded. (eff.org)
Norway said on April 24 it will propose a law to ban social media for children under 16 and make platforms verify users’ ages at login. (regjeringen.no) Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the bill will go to Parliament before the end of 2026. The cutoff would apply from January 1 in the year a child turns 16, so whole school cohorts gain access together. (regjeringen.no) Norway is following Australia, where age-restriction rules took effect on December 10, 2025. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner says platforms must take “reasonable steps” to stop under-16s from creating or keeping accounts. (esafety.gov.au) Australia’s regulator says the covered services include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit. The rules exclude online gaming and standalone messaging apps unless they add social-media-style features. (esafety.gov.au) The enforcement problem is already visible. A survey reported Friday found more than 60% of Australian children aged 12 to 15 still accessed at least one social platform after the restrictions took effect. (msn.com) That gap between law and behavior is now shaping politics elsewhere. In California, Assembly Bill 1709 would bar minors under 16 from holding accounts on covered platforms and route enforcement through the state attorney general. (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) A California Assembly committee analysis dated April 16 says the bill would use the state’s device-based age-verification system and would not stop minors from viewing information without a personalized account. The same analysis says the proposal has support from Common Sense Media and opposition from industry, digital-rights groups and LGBTQ+ organizations. (apcp.assembly.ca.gov) The bill is moving quickly. FastDemocracy’s tracker shows A.B. 1709 cleared the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee on April 16 and the Judiciary Committee on April 21, then was re-referred to Appropriations on April 22. (fastdemocracy.com) The Electronic Frontier Foundation said California’s bill would force all users, not just minors, to verify identity before accessing social platforms. The group said that would require government ID or biometric data and would weaken anonymity online. (eff.org) The policy direction is getting clearer than the enforcement. Governments are putting the burden on platforms, but Australia’s first months under the new rules suggest young users still find ways around age gates. (esafety.gov.au) (msn.com)
