Operational Excellence (OPEX) Daily Briefing – Monday, December 15, 2025: The World’s First Under-16 Social Media Ban

Điểm Tin Operational Excellence (OPEX) Mỗi Ngày – Thứ Hai, Ngày 15/12/2025: Quốc Gia Đầu Tiên Trên Thế Giới Cấm Trẻ Dưới 16 Tuổi Dùng Mạng Xã Hội: Vì Sao Là Úc?

Welcome to my unique weekday article for the paid subscriber-only edition.

Operational Excellence (OPEX) Daily Briefing – issued on weekdays (Monday to Friday).

Điểm tin Operational Excellence (OPEX) hằng ngày (phát hành các ngày thứ Hai đến thứ Sáu).

This is the bilingual post in English and Vietnamese. Vietnamese is below.

Đây là bài viết song ngữ Anh-Việt. Tiếng Việt ở bên dưới.

English

PART 1 – OFFICIAL INFORMATION

In the first week of December 2025, the Australian Government triggered a global shockwave when it officially announced a legislative plan to ban children under 16 from using social media, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X. This is considered the toughest move Australia has ever taken in its effort to protect children from online risks, marking a major turning point in the global debate on digital safety, privacy rights, and the role of the state in regulating Big Tech.

According to the government’s statement over the past week, this proposal is based on an online safety report conducted by former ASIO Director – Mike Burgess, who was tasked with comprehensively assessing the digital threats faced by Australian children. The report concluded that children under 16 are overexposed to harmful content, violence, harassment, child sexual abuse material, scams, algorithmic addiction, and behavioural manipulation. Burgess stressed that the voluntary measures taken by Big Tech are “insufficient”, and that a mandatory legal framework is needed to mitigate the risks.

The ban comes with a requirement that social media platforms must deploy age verification technology. Over the past week, the Australian Home Affairs Department and the Department of Communications have confirmed they are testing solutions such as ID document verification, facial analysis, and behavioural data–based Age Assurance — all of which must comply with privacy laws, avoid collecting sensitive data, and limit the risk of personal information leaks. The government has set up an independent testing centre to evaluate 10 age verification technologies before making a final decision.

However, over the past week, technology companies — including Meta, TikTok, Snap, and X — have strongly opposed the move. They argue that the regulation is “unenforceable”, does not guarantee age accuracy, creates a high risk of privacy violations, and increases the possibility that biometric data will be misused by third parties. Many platforms have also warned that Australia’s regulation could set a global precedent, forcing Big Tech to rebuild their entire operating architecture, verification systems, and data governance frameworks.

Despite Big Tech’s opposition, public opinion in Australia over the past week has been largely supportive of the new rule. Many parents, psychologists, and child protection organisations argue that social media has contributed to anxiety, depression, body image pressure, cyberbullying, sleep disorders, and reduced concentration among adolescents. Some experts have even stated that “16 is already too late”, proposing that the minimum age should be raised to 17 or 18.

The bill is currently in the stage of public consultation and is expected to be introduced to the Australian Parliament in early 2026. If passed, Australia will become the first country in the world to impose a nationwide, age-based social media ban, going further than the US, UK and EU, where regulations on children’s use of social media are still under debate or only apply at the state or regional level.

During the past week, many countries — particularly the United States, where several states are currently discussing laws to restrict minors on TikTok and Instagram — have expressed keen interest in Australia’s move. Analysts believe this decision could trigger a “global domino effect”, forcing Big Tech to upgrade child protection mechanisms, automate age detection, and strengthen identity verification processes.

Australia’s decision is rapidly becoming one of the hottest public policy debates of the week, centred around the boundary between individual freedom, privacy rights, and child safety — a theme that is expected to shape regulatory discussions deeply in 2026.