Standard
Law passed November 2024 and in force December 2025 requiring platforms to close existing under-16 accounts and reject new ones.
Australia moved minor protection off parents and self-regulation and onto the platforms themselves. The early evidence on whether children actually lost access points in two directions.
Reality
California's AB 1709 bars autoplay, infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations for users under 16. The companion-chatbot law signed the same day requires operators to take age brackets from the operating system.
Reality
The Online Safety Bill names Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook, permits facial age estimation and digital ID, and caps fines at 10 percent of global revenue. Nobody has said who keeps the face scans.
Reality
A Tech Transparency Project report says Meta ran branded influencer events in more than a dozen countries to argue bans do not work. Meta says the partnerships are disclosed and lawful.
Reality
A Tech Transparency Project report says Meta recruited creators whenever governments took up youth social-media rules. Anyone buying influencer marketing now carries political disclosure risk.
Reality