Australia Just Kicked Kids Off Social Media. Here's Why That Might Be the Push We Needed.

Last week, Australia became the first country to ban social media for everyone under 16. This includes YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, TikTok, and Kick, the platforms where millions of creators livestream to audiences every day. If your organization relies on these platforms to reach families and young audiences, what does this mean for you? And for those of us outside Australia, is this a preview of what's to come?

Regardless of where you do business, you should absolutely be paying attention. Jurisdictions around the world are also adopting age limits for social media, with multiple countries already moving forward with similar measures. Starting next year, Malaysia will ban children under 16 from social media, and Denmark recently announced that it will ban access to social media for anyone under 15. France is not only looking at a social media ban for children under 15, but also at a platform curfew for 15- to 18-year-olds. In the U.S., teens can still join most platforms at 13, but a growing number of states like Nebraska, Utah, and Texas are enacting their own age restrictions at the state level.

In many cases, kids will still be able to access uploaded videos and livestreams on these platforms, either as a guest user and/or with parental permission. However, many will lose access to interactive features that are available only to registered accounts, like the ability to comment on other creators' content, save videos for later, “like” videos, or subscribe to a channel. From a promotion perspective, kids won’t be able to post about events, share content, or create authentic word-of-mouth. And as for the broadcasting side, a social media ban has a direct hit on who can stream. Without an account, young athletes, brand ambassadors, or student entrepreneurs won't be able to start a broadcast, upload videos, maintain their own channels, receive tips/donations, or engage with an online community.

What Comes Next

As someone in the streaming technology space and a parent of young children, I am more energized about these changes than most people. It's not because I think organizations are wrong to use the free tools available to them. And it's not because I see this as a magic fix for the online risks posed to kids and teens (although the mom in me is always down for a good ban). Rather, it's because the recent legislative changes around the world signal something greater: the future we've been anticipating is already here.

Where is this future being built? For one thing, it’s not in boardrooms or VC pitch decks. It's being imagined by people on the ground like Robert Judkins and the good folks at Blue Chip Youth Sports - those who are uninspired by the limitations of existing platforms and are reshaping what’s possible. Their vision is a media hub that turns every event into an experience worth watching. It brings together multiple camera angles, fan cams crowdsourced from the stands, and live mics that capture every moment on the field.

Even more, it's not designed around big tech’s agenda. It's designed to serve the communities that traditional media overlooks. It's for the underdog team fundraising for equipment, the military dad, deployed overseas, watching his daughter compete, and the 10-year-old who finally gets to show the world what he’s been practicing for months. There are no dark patterns to chase clicks, no followers to purchase, and no feed to push extreme content. When you own your content platform, you can optimize for your community, not what makes the algorithm happy.

The Business Case Is Just as Compelling

But even if community values don't move you, the business model should. Why let platforms monetize your audience when you have created all of the value? When you own the experience, you decide your revenue model, whether it be ticket fees, sponsorship, donations, tips, sustaining gifts, subscriptions, or booster programs.

Don't Panic—But Don't Wait Either

As we’re seeing it play out at this very moment, the era of free livestreaming for everyone is no longer guaranteed, and Australia's social media ban is likely just the beginning. In the near term, rest assured that there are no penalties for you, your organization, or the teenagers who are about to make Australia the world's VPN capital. Existing legislation places the burden on the platforms themselves, not on content creators or families.

But that doesn't mean you should rest on your laurels. Now's the time to think strategically about how you reach your audiences and showcase your creators. If you're streaming content to youth audiences, start by auditing your viewer demographics and understanding how much of your engagement comes from the under-16 cohort. Review your content distribution strategy and evaluate if you’re too dependent on a single platform. Consider how you'll maintain community connection when a chunk of your audience can't interact the way they used to. And if you have young creators who've been building their presence on these platforms, start thinking now about how to preserve their visibility and opportunities. If you’re navigating any of this like many of our partners, don’t hesitate to get in touch (kate@nativeframe.com) and tell me about your specific situation. This is where we geek out, and if we’re feeling extra, we might even break out the whiteboard.

The Opportunity Ahead

These changes are disruptive and difficult for many organizations, but I’m bullish about the possibilities they open up. Because when the tools we settled for are no longer an option, we stop settling and start creating. We remember that innovation doesn't belong to the big platforms - it belongs to us. And we find new ways forward.