Australia’s Social Media Ban For Under 16s Is Activated: What It Means For the Music Community

A new digital media dawn has broken in Australia, one that blocks millions of youngsters from accessing their favorite social media apps.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor government last year proposed groundbreaking laws that would block under-16s from accessing TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and other services, citing research that shows overexposure to social media can accelerate mental health problems for young people.

Those rules passed through parliament in November 2024, with bipartisan support, and came into effect this Wednesday, Dec. 10.

Australia is the first country to embark on this grand, social experiment. No doubt other countries are watching closely.

The music industry has been watching closely, too.

Kids and tweens are, so often, the noisiest superfans of pop artists, a 24-7 connection that has been forged on social media in the past decade. What would that relationship look like when the bridge is roped off, for a time?

Youth music organization The Push recently published the results of a national YouGov poll, which found that 70% of young Australians are discovering new music via social media platforms, raising questions on what the new regulations would mean for young Australian audiences’ music discoverability, particularly in relation to domestic repertoire.

In the foreword to “Young Australian Music Audiences 2025,” The Push CEO Kate Duncan addressed necessary “alternative spaces” that would enable young people places to connect, discover new artists and form lifelong friendships offline.

“We need to ensure that if we’re switching-off online opportunities for young Australians, we’re providing real-life, placed-based programs and events for them to connect and be okay,” Duncan tells Billboard. “Without accessible entry points, we risk losing the next generation of live music audiences; and with them, the artists, industry workers and cultural leaders who will sustain the sector in years to come.”

More than three in five of those surveyed for the report said that attending live music events was important to them. And 80% would support a government program for young people to organize or attend music events so they can stay connected without social media.

“What young people have told us is they see access to music events as the solution to connect and meet their tribe when the social media ban begins,” Duncan continues. “We need to open doors by funding all-ages gigs, backing youth-led events, making tickets affordable, and enabling schools and councils to host discovery programs. Government, industry and local communities all have a role to play in this.”

It’s early times, and the launch has been anything but smooth. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), many kids targeted by the restrictions have been able to get around the ban in various ways, with age assurance systems misclassifying users and using such workarounds as VPNs.

Those glitches will be ironed out. Billboard spoke with artist managers who noted the restrictions could have negative unwanted consequences for creatives.

“There are clearly loads of artists who grew online fanbases in their early to mid-teens and those communities were the foundations for big commercial success in their late teens,” says one, who asked to remain anonymous. “So ‘holding back’ Australian teens could arguably put them at a handicap when it comes to audience development as well as skills development.”

On balance, says one domestic industry professional, the negative personal impact of social media on millions of Australian kids is “a greater harm” than the negative professional impact on thousands of young Australian “‘content makers” who “will have to endure a delayed start to their careers compared to overseas competitors.”

It’s not all gloomy, though it is a thorny subject, and several record label executives declined to comment. Let’s wait and see, was the prevailing argument.

The laws come into effect at a time when Australian artists are struggling to be seen and heard in an all-access digital world, a hyper-competitive market place where the main streaming brands offer upwards of 100 million songs, a figure that’s rising by more six digits each week.

Just one homegrown recording appears on the latest ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart, Tame Impala’s “Dracula,” at No. 33. The visibility, or “discoverability” issue was hammered home in January when domestic acts had a poor showing in the ARIA year-end charts, and the triple j Hottest 100, both industry-recognized gauges of popularity.

Just last month, the Australia Institute released a report that analyzed the data of the top 10,000 artists streamed in Australia from 2021-2024. Authored by former Spotify chief economist Will Page and forwarded by ex-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, the document revealed a sharp decline in both the number of Australian artists being streamed domestically (down 20%), and the amount of times they were streamed (down 30%).

Going forward, social media platforms face penalties of up to A$50 million if they do not take “reasonable steps” to those under 16 from activating a social media account.

“Start a new sport, learn a new instrument or read that book that’s been sitting there on your shelf for some time,” Albanese said in a video message. “Importantly, spend quality time with your friends and your family, face to face.”

Maggie Collins, executive director of the Association of Artist Managers (AAM), is optimistic that artists, and young people, will always find a way to connect.

“Australian youth being forced off social media may actually drive them to seek music in more manual / analogue ways,” she tells Billboard. “They need experience and connection with one another, and it’s almost like they’ll be thrown back in time — somewhat —  in that they have to physically see each other to do that, and share their love of music in ‘slow’ consumption formats.”

No socials, no problem for ABC’s triple j, double j and Unearthed platforms. “If you’re a young Australian artist who has, or is about to have their social media platforms frozen,” reads a message from the ABC-operated music specialists, “we’re still here.”

Read more here.