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Two additional websites have been added to Australia’s world-first social media ban for children under 16, which comes into effect next month. Popular forum website Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick have now been included in the ban, the online safety regulator has confirmed, bringing the total number of restricted applications to nine.
Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters on Wednesday that the two platforms will join previously outlined websites, including TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, when the age-restriction ban comes into effect on December 10. Threads, a platform that requires an Instagram account to access, is also included in the assessment. Ms Wells warned that the list is ‘dynamic’ and could continue to grow.
“eSafety has assessed eight platforms as requiring age-restriction but their assessments will be ongoing and this list is dynamic,” Ms Well said via ABC. “We aren’t chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference.”
Both Reddit and Kick reportedly received advice from the eSafety Commission that they may meet the criteria for the upcoming ban and were encouraged to submit reasons why they should not be included. At a press conference announcing the changes, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said companies had been given ample notice that they would be included in the ban.
“The burden is on , but we will be watching as well,” Inman Grant said via The Guardian.
“And if they start rolling out features that look more like they’re becoming a social media company than an online gaming company, then we will seek to capture them.”
Kick, an Australian competitor to the wildly popular live streaming platform Twitch, enables users to broadcast and watch live video content covering topics such as gaming, music, and entertainment. Launched in 2022, the platform is recognised for its more lenient content moderation and lower fees for streamers, as well as its adult-oriented content.
Reddit, on the other hand, is the seventh most-visited website in the world, generating more visitors than online resource Wikipedia, communications platform WhatsApp and social media application TikTok, according to the latest data from digital aggregator SimilarWeb.
Under the eSafety Commission’s criteria, platforms with a “sole or significant purpose to enable online social interaction” will be classified as ‘age-restricted platforms’ and required to comply with the new laws. Failure to take reasonable steps to block users under 16 from holding an account may result in platforms facing fines of up to $49.5 million.
The full list of platforms included in the ban, which comes into effect on December 10, is listed below:
- TikTok
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- X
- Kick
- Threads
At present, platforms that operate messaging, email, voice or video calling, online games, health, education, professional development or services that provide information about products or services are exempt from the new age limit regulations.
According to the ABC, the commission has informed several platforms that they don’t currently meet the criteria to fall under the ban. These include:
- Messenger
- YouTube Kids
- Discord
- GitHub
- LEGO Play
- Roblox
- Steam and Steam Chat
- Google Classroom
Parliament passed the Australian Federal Government’s social media policy in November 2024 and it will come into effect on 10 December 2025. The Government confirmed that the legislation was introduced in response to concerns about the negative impact of social media on young people, particularly on their mental health and well-being. The legislation will apply to people under the age of 16 years in Australia at the time the legislation comes into effect.
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