It’s big news, but the social media ban doesn’t need to cause you, or your business, a big headache. Get ready to diversify, lean into some old-school marketing methods and take the time to protect what you’ve built. 

It’s a world first, and one of the biggest news stories to come out of 2025 – Australia’s social media ban on anyone under the age of 16. While we’re fairly certain you’re a year or two older than that threshold, that doesn’t mean to say you won’t be affected. 

Here, we breakdown exactly what the social media ban entails and why it warrants your attention.

What is the social media ban? 

The Australian Government passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 on 28 November 2024. The law introduces a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts on certain social media platforms, which took effect on 10 December 2025. Parents can’t give their consent to let kids under the age of 16 use the banned platforms, which currently include TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, X, Facebook, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and Threads. Apps like Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, Kids Helpline, Google Classroom and YouTube Kids are not part of the ban.

What happens if under-16s try to access the banned sites?

If underage people access any of the banned social media sites, they will not face penalties – the fines are for the platforms, not the users or the parents. So if your 15-year-old gives it a crack, they’ll be booted off the site and it’s over to the tech company that built the platform to ensure compliance and face any potential penalties. 

How could it affect your audience?

The big issue is it’s not just under-16s leaving the platforms. There’s a real chance of an ‘adult exodus’ due to friction and privacy concerns. Picture this – a 45-year-old potential customer who casually uses Facebook is asked to ‘upload a video selfie’ or ‘scan a driver’s licence’ to prove their age. 

It’s likely many will simply assign these requests to the ‘too hard basket’, close the app and never be seen again. This begs the question – will social media be as effective to publicise your business, gain new customers and attract new recruits?

The short answer? Probably not. Your ‘total reach’ on social ads could well drop because your local customer base (homeowners, older decision-makers) can’t be bothered with the admin. Many Australians are also suspicious of handing data to big tech companies, leading these people to leave the platforms entirely.

But honestly, if your marketing has always relied 100 per cent on Facebook Ads, you’ve been building on rented land the entire time. This reinforces the need to build your own database – use your website and contact list from past jobs to gather emails, offering clickworthy incentives like power-saving tips or seasonal discounts. 

Email and marketing automation service providers like Mailchimp or Hubspot offer step-by-step instructions to build an on-brand newsletter and manage sign-ups with ease. You can also integrate SMS into your email campaigns – delivering targeted info to the back pockets of your target audience.

How could it impact apprentice recruitment?

Electrical apprentices often start young – we’re talking 15-18 years of age. That means you’ve probably frequently used a local community Facebook page, Instagram post and story to put the ‘Apprentice Wanted’ word out to the universe. But here’s the thing, if you’re targeting a 15-16 year old school leaver, chances are they won’t see it on those platforms anymore.

To continue to reach your fresh-faced, up-and-coming sparkies, you need to diversify. 

Consider contacting your local high school careers adviser to help spread the word, use community noticeboards (both online and old-school physical ones!) and utilise word of mouth (marketing gold) through your Gemcell wholesaler too.

That’s not to say social media will be useless to recruit apprentices – but your posts may need to target the parents, rather than the youngster, meaning the ‘sell’ will be slightly different. 

How to protect and verify your own business?

Of course, many people will continue to use social media, and you still need to be present. But just as users are going to have to verify themselves, so too are businesses. So this one’s a potential headache for business owners – but it’s time to face the new digital reality. 

You might need to upload an ID or do a ‘video selfie’ to keep your own business accounts running. Stay vigilant and don’t ignore notifications from Meta/TikTok, you don’t want to risk your business page being locked because you forgot to prove you’re over 16. 

Sure, it’s a bit of a pain, but we’d choose a five-minute inconvenience over being locked out of everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

Be wary too of scams – the demand to upload verification evidence is guaranteed to be used by scammers too. So if you get an email from ‘Facebook’ asking you to upload a picture of your passport, double and triple check it’s genuine. 

Australia’s social media ban is a shake-up, but not a business breaker. Use the time to focus on building local relationships, diversifying your marketing tactics and delivering quality work – things that have always mattered more than a TikTok trend.