This is episode 3 of a 5-part Tech Mirror mini-series, Australia vs Social Media: Inside the world-first online safety experiment. In this episode, we make sense of the Social Media Minimum Age legislation, explaining the limits of the law and what it actually requires of social media companies, young people, parents, and the community. We also unpack how this new law interrelates with other existing online safety measures, including industry codes.

We speak with Cam Wilson from Crikey, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Australia's Privacy Commissioner Carly Kind, and Deputy Program Director of the Age Assurance Technology Trial Andrew Hammond.

Links:

Minister Wells Press Conference (16 September 2025), supplied.

Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024, including the explanatory memorandum and transcripts of all second reading speeches https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r7284

Government announces plans to introduce the minimum age legislation (8 November 2024), Minimum age for social media access to protect Australian kids https://www.pm.gov.au/media/minimum-age-social-media-access-protect-australian-kids & https://anthonyalbanese.com.au/media-centre/social-media-ban

Social media reforms to protect our kids online pass Parliament (29 November 2024) https://alp.org.au/news/social-media-reforms-to-protect-our-kids-online-pass-parliament/

eSafety Commissioner Advice to the Minister for Communications on draft Online Safety Rules (June 2025) https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/esafety-commissioner-advice-minister-communications-draft-online-safety-rules

Albanese Government protecting kids from social media harms (July 2025) https://www.pm.gov.au/media/albanese-government-protecting-kids-social-media-harms

Prime Minister and Minister for Communications media conference, Canberra (July 2025) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wellseSaeft/transcript/press-conference-parliament-house-canberra

Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025 https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2025L00889/latest/text

eSafety Commissioner’s regulatory guidance https://www.esafety.gov.au/industry/regulatory-guidance#social-media-minimum-age

Minister for Communications and eSafety Commissioner’s media conference (September 2025) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/transcript/press-conference-sydney

Privacy Guidance on Part 4A (Social Media Minimum Age) of the Online Safety Act 2021 (October 2025) https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-legislation/related-legislation/social-media-minimum-age

Platforms on notice to comply with Social Media Minimum Age, via eSafety Commissioner (November 2025) https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/platforms-on-notice-to-comply-with-social-media-minimum-age

Social media minimum age platform assessments, Minister for Communications media release (November 2025) https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/media-release/social-media-minimum-age-platform-assessments & https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/wells/transcript/press-conference-canberra-0

Press Conference: Social Media minimum Age Platform Assessments, Minister for Communications media release (November 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9CIZK_12Zc

eSafety assesses Twitch as an age restricted social media platform (November 2025) https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/twitch-assessed-as-age-restricted-social-media-platform

https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/11/21/katherine-deves-legal-challenge-teen-social-media-ban/

Office of the eSafety Commissioner’s industry codes and standards https://www.esafety.gov.au/industry/codes

Age Assurance Technology Trial https://ageassurance.com.au/

Age Assurance Technology Trial— Final Report https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/age-assurance-technology-trial-final-report

Credits

Written and narrated by Johanna Weaver, Executive Director, Tech Policy Design Institute.

Produced by Olivia O’Flynn & Kate Montague, Audiocraft.

Research by Amy Denmeade.

Original music by Thalia Skopellos.

Created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Ngambri people and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

Special thanks to all the team at the Tech Policy Design Institute, without whom the pod would not be possible, especially Zoe Hawkins, Meredith Hodgman, and Dorina Wittmann.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.