An age floor for big platforms
Australia has moved to restrict access to major social platforms for under-16s, placing the obligation on the platform rather than the family.
Australia
The under-16 rules, and what comes next
Australia has drawn a line under the way major platforms treat young people. Restriction answers one half of the question. The other half is what young people get instead.
- Designed for teens and young people
- Live in 40+ countries
- Age-aware moderation
- No ads. Free to use.
What is changing
Age assurance obligations
Services are expected to take reasonable steps to establish age, rather than relying on a self-declared birthday.
Design, not just content
The debate has moved beyond moderation to the mechanics that keep young people scrolling — infinite feeds, autoplay and public metrics.
What families are left with
Restriction removes an option. It doesn't create a better one. That gap is what Tribela is building for.
Building for the new standard
Tribela works with K-ID on youth compliance and age-assurance requirements in Australia and the UK, so evolving youth-safety standards are built into the product rather than retrofitted.
Designed for teens and young people, live in more than 40 countries, free to use and ad-free. Your feed has an end, nothing plays without you, likes are not a public scoreboard, and every post’s audience is chosen before it is shared.
This page is a general explainer, not legal advice. For the official position, see eSafety Commissioner guidance.
Common questions
What is Australia's under-16 social media rule?
Australia has introduced age restrictions requiring major social media platforms to prevent under-16s from holding accounts, with the compliance obligation placed on the platform.
Does the restriction apply to every app?
The rules target large social media platforms. Scope and enforcement are determined by the regulator, and services are assessed against the criteria set out in the legislation.
How does Tribela handle age?
Tribela accounts are for ages 13 and over and use age-aware defaults, so younger members begin with a more protected experience. We work with K-ID on youth compliance and age-assurance requirements in Australia and the UK.
What should families do in the meantime?
Look at how an app is designed, not just what is on it: does the feed end, does video autoplay, are like counts public, and is the audience chosen before posting?
Social media should fit into a young person’s life — not take it over.
No infinite scroll. No autoplay. No public popularity contest. Free to download, free to use.
- Designed for teens and young people
- Live in 40+ countries
- Age-aware moderation
- No ads. Free to use.