iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Social media age restrictions are already operating in Australia, where covered platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts. The UK has announced a similar direction, but its service-level regulations are still prospective and require parliamentary approval. The key questions are what services each approach covers, how age checks may work, and what early evidence can—and cannot—show.
Where social media age restrictions stand now
| Question | Australia | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Legal status | Scheme in force from 10 December 2025. Online Safety Act 2021, as amended | Government plan announced in June 2026; regulations remain prospective and require approval by both Houses. UK government progress statement |
| Announced approach | Providers of age-restricted platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from holding accounts. eSafety Commissioner: social media age restrictions | Plan for an under-16 social-media restriction and limits on certain high-risk features on other services. UK government announcement |
| Implementation detail | Coverage follows statutory criteria and legislative Rules; no single age-check method is required. eSafety guidance | Detailed scope, age-assurance design and enforcement are not settled in the announced plan. UK government progress statement |
Australia’s under-16 account restriction
Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age scheme took effect on 10 December 2025. Under Part 4A of the Online Safety Act 2021, providers of age-restricted social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent age-restricted users from having accounts. An age-restricted user is a child under 16 ordinarily resident in Australia; the scheme applies to covered services accessible in Australia. The law places the duty on providers, not children or their parents and carers. eSafety’s overview and Australian Government guidance explain the framework.
Which services are covered?
Coverage is based on what a service does, not simply its name or the age rating of its app. The Act concerns services whose sole or significant purpose is online social interaction, which let users connect or interact and post material. Legislative Rules add conditions, including recommender and/or logged-in features. eSafety assesses likely coverage for enforcement, but does not issue a definitive list declaring every service’s status. Its current service guidance is more useful than an old, fixed list because the Rules and service designs can change.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Government guidance says under-16s can continue to access messaging, gaming, professional networking and development, education, and health-support services that are not covered. That is not a blanket exemption for every service in those categories: the exact result depends on the Rules and the service’s functions. Australian Government guidance
#1 Best Overall
- Universal unlocked. Compatible with all major U.S. carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and other prepaid carriers.
- Super-bright, super-smooth 6.7" display. See your screen clearly even outdoors in sunlight, and enjoy seamless views with a fast-refreshing 120Hz display.*
- AI-powered camera system. Take stunning photos in any light with the 50MP camera**, look your best with a 32MP selfie cam*****, and capture extreme close-ups.
- Superfast 5G performance. Unleash your entertainment at 5G speed*** with the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset and up to 12GB of RAM with RAM Boost****.
- Long-lasting battery + TurboPower charging. Power through day after day with a 5200mAh battery, then get hours of power in just minutes.****
Age checks and privacy
The Australian law requires reasonable steps, not one universal age-check technology. It also restricts the use of government-issued identification material and accredited Australian Government digital ID for this purpose unless reasonable alternative ways to assure a provider that a person is not under 16 are offered. eSafety says platforms may not compel Australians to use government ID or government-accredited digital ID to prove age. eSafety FAQ
Age assurance still involves personal-data choices. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner says Part 4A operates alongside the Privacy Act and adds more stringent obligations for personal information handled to comply with the minimum-age requirement. The practical privacy question is therefore not only whether a platform checks age, but what information its chosen method collects, how it is handled, and whether an alternative is available. OAIC guidance
Rank #2
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Who faces penalties?
The duty and potential penalty fall on platforms, not children or their carers. Australian Government guidance currently lists a maximum penalty of AUD 109.2 million for a platform that fails to take reasonable steps. Because penalties can change, consult the current government guidance for the figure in force at the time of reading.
What the early Australian figures show—and do not show
eSafety reported that age-restricted platforms had removed access to 4.7 million under-16 accounts across Australia by mid-December 2025. That is an early implementation measure: it records reported account access removals, not whether all under-16s are now unable to access covered services or whether harms have declined. eSafety’s update
Rank #3
- Charger NOT Included, 6.7" Super AMOLED FHD+, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 385 ppi, 800 nits (HBM), 1080x2340px, 5000mAh Battery
- 128GB, 4GB RAM, microSDXC, Exynos 1330 (5nm), Octa-Core, Mali-G68 MP2 or Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- Rear Camera: 50MP, f/1.8 (wide) + 5MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP, f/2.4 (macro), LED flash, panorama, HDR; Front Camera: 13MP, f/2.0, Android 14, up to 6 major Android upgrades, One UI 6.1
- 3G: HSDPA 850/900/1700(AWS)/1900/2100; 4G LTE: 1/2/3/4/5/7/12/13/14/20/25/26/28/29/30/38/39/40/41/48/66/71, 5G: 2/5/25/41/66/71/77/78 SA/NSA/Sub6/mmWave - Nano-SIM + eSIM
- US Model – Global Connectivity – Compatible with Most GSM Carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc. Will Also work with CDMA Carriers Such as Verizon, Straight Talk.
The impact evaluation is still underway. eSafety’s March 2026 report says the implementation and impact evaluation began in November 2025 and is expected to run for at least two years. It considers intended and unintended effects and the experiences of under-16s, parents and carers. Its initial qualitative research was completed in the month before the rules took effect, so it can inform understanding of anticipated views and experiences, but it is not a post-implementation causal assessment. eSafety evaluation report
Australian Government consumer research reports that around nine in ten adults supported age assurance, and 80% said it would either not affect or positively influence their likelihood of using a website. The same page reports limited trust in platforms’ handling of personal data. These are attitudes to age-assurance technologies in general, not a direct measure of support for every element of the social-media account restriction; the department identifies the Social Research Centre as the report’s preparer. Australian Government consumer research
Rank #4
- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Australia’s statute states its purpose as: “The object of this Part is to reduce the risk of harm to age-restricted users from certain kinds of social media platforms.” That describes the law’s intended object, not evidence that it has achieved it. Online Safety Act 2021, section 63B
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
The UK’s announced direction and timetable
In June 2026, the UK government announced plans to ban social media for under-16s and restrict high-risk features—including livestreaming and contact from strangers—on other online services. It said messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal are not intended to be included, and that it plans to use a model like Australia’s. These are stated intentions, not settled coverage or enforcement rules. UK government announcement
Best Value
- Carrier: This phone is locked to Tracfone, which means this device can only be used on the Tracfone wireless network. Tracfone plan required, activating is easy, just 3 steps.
- DISPLAY: Immersive viewing on a 6.7-inch super-bright 120Hz display with powerful stereo speakers and Bass Boost for cinematic entertainment.
- CAMERA SYSTEM: Advanced 50MP Quad Pixel camera captures sharp, detailed photos and videos in any lighting condition
- PERFORMANCE: Lightning-fast 5G connectivity paired with a powerful processor and RAM Boost for smooth multitasking.
- BATTERY LIFE: Long-lasting 5000mAh battery with TurboPower charging technology delivers hours of power in minutes.
The government’s progress statement says it intends to lay the first regulations related to service-level age restrictions before Parliament by the end of 2026, with further regulations within 12 months of the June 2026 statement. The regulations use the affirmative procedure and require approval by both Houses. The timetable and final rules may change. UK government progress statement
What consultation responses indicate
The UK government reports that 90% of parents who responded to its consultation supported a minimum age of at least 16, while 19% of child respondents supported a minimum age of 16 across all social-media platforms. Among young people aged 16–21, 65% wanted under-16s restricted from at least some engagement-maximizing features, and 53% wanted infinite scrolling restricted. These are findings among consultation respondents, not representative population estimates unless supported by the consultation’s methodology. UK government progress statement
Quick Recap
What to watch as the rules develop
- Coverage: Australia’s current service list and Rules can change; the UK’s final service scope is still pending.
- Age-assurance safeguards: Australia’s law constrains compelled use of government identity credentials and imposes privacy obligations. Comparable UK design details have not yet been established in the announcement.
- Enforcement: Australia has an operating provider duty and penalty framework. The UK’s detailed enforcement provisions are not yet assessable from the plan.
- Effects: Account removals are not a substitute for evidence about lasting compliance, harm reduction, or unintended consequences. Australia’s evaluation is expected to continue for at least two years; the UK has no post-implementation effects to assess yet.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Recommended Free Tools
