It is estimated that there are about 440,000 Australian teenagers between 13 and 15 years old on Snapchat. On Instagram, 350 thousand of that age group are active users, and on TikTok, 200 thousand. Even Facebook – which is not exactly at the center of the Alpha Generation spirit – reports around 150 thousand.
Starting Wednesday, those numbers are supposed to change dramatically under a landmark law that will require users in Australia to be at least 16 years old to have accounts on those platforms and other social media services.
The implementation of the law, with all its adjustments and drawbacks, will be closely watched by parents, researchers and government officials around the world. Australia’s experience could serve as a model for authorities elsewhere – including Denmark, the European Union and Malaysia – planning to impose similar restrictions, or as a warning about the potential risks.
This is how the law is expected to work.