Australia Tightens App Restrictions With New Online Safety Laws

Australia has expanded its digital safety regime by enforcing bans on TikTok across federal government devices and tightening restrictions on WeChat over security concerns. While consumers can still use both apps freely, officials say government networks face elevated privacy and data-harvesting risks.

A new Online Safety Amendment coming into effect on 10 December 2025 will bar under-16s from holding accounts on major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, and YouTube. Platforms that fail to verify ages or remove underage users could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars.