The Tech Giants Are Squirming. Good.

Seatbelts took 7 years to become "normal". Give the social media ban a minute! ⏳

Let me say something that might surprise you, coming from a digital marketing coach: I am thrilled that Big Tech is uncomfortable right now.

I spend my days helping businesses grow through social media. I teach people how to use these platforms strategically, I show brands how to create ads that find warm audiences and retarget them with epic messaging. I spend a lot of time in Meta's warm embrace (😅bahaha). And yet - here I am, one of the loudest voices in my industry calling out the dark side of the very tools I teach.

That's not a contradiction. That's called having a conscience.

So let's talk about what's happening right now, because it's significant, it's historic, and it deserves more than a hot take.

Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban: Why I'm a Massive Fan

In late 2024, Australia became the first country in the world to legislate a social media ban for children under 16. I was - and remain - a massive fan of this decision. I genuinely hope the rest of the world is taking notes.

Predictably, the critics came out swinging the moment the first 100 days passed. "It's a flop," they said. "Teens are finding workarounds." "The ban isn't working."

I'd like to offer a different perspective, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this excellent article by cyber safety expert Kirra Pendergast of Safe on Social, someone I've followed for over a decade and rate very highly when it comes to all things kids online safety, and cyber security.

The Seatbelt Comparison That Is A Great Reminder To Us All! 🚙

Kirra draws a comparison that is, frankly, perfect: when Australia made seatbelts mandatory in 1970 (I wasn't here then, I was born and bred in NZ BTW), people lost their minds over "government overreach." Sound familiar? It took seven full years to reach 90% compliance.

Seven years. For seatbelts. A law that now saves thousands of lives annually and that nobody questions. (More about that, below)

We are now part of a generational shift in how we protect children online, and people are declaring it a failure because some teenagers found a workaround. That's actually not a policy failure - that's human behaviour. Change is slow, messy, and non-linear, but that doesn't mean we abandon it!

Is Australia's Social Media Ban for Under-16s Working?

This is one of the most-searched questions right now, and the honest answer is: it's too early to tell!

But what we can say is this:

• The law exists, and that alone is a significant cultural and legislative milestone.
• Platforms are now legally obligated to act - and are being watched.
• Australia's eSafety Commissioner has already launched formal investigations into Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat for allegedly doing the "bare minimum" to comply.
• Non-compliance carries fines of up to $49.5 million AUD and that's not a light slap on the wrist.

The question isn't whether the ban is perfect. The question is whether we're moving in the right direction. We definitely are!

Big Tech Is Running the Big Tobacco Playbook

Here's where I want to be direct, because this is something I feel strongly about as someone who works inside the digital marketing industry.

Big Tech is not your friend. It is not neutral. And right now, it is running a strategy that should look very familiar to anyone who studied how the tobacco industry fought regulation for decades.

The playbook goes like this:

1. Distract. Keep advocates arguing amongst themselves about who "owns" the law, whether it's a state or federal issue, whether parents or platforms should be responsible.
2. Divide. Get people attacking the regulators - the eSafety Commissioner, the government - so the heat stays off the platforms.
3. Delay. Do the bare minimum. Comply slowly. Appeal everything. Run out the clock.

Kirra Pendergast's message is clear, and I'm amplifying it here: stop the infighting and keep your eyes on the real target - the platforms themselves.

The eSafety Commissioner is not the enemy. The government is not the enemy. Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat - billion-dollar corporations that have knowingly designed addictive products targeting children - are the ones who need to be held accountable.

The US Liability Ruling: A Watershed Moment

And speaking of accountability - let's talk about what just happened in the United States.

A US jury found Meta and Google (YouTube) liable for intentionally designing addictive products. Not accidentally. Intentionally.

This is enormous because for years (two decades!), these companies have hidden behind Section 230 protections and argued that they're just neutral platforms - that they're not responsible for what happens on their services. That argument is becoming harder and harder to sustain when a jury of ordinary people looks at the evidence and says: you knew, and you did it anyway.

About time? Absolutely. Is it enough? Nope, not yet. But it's a crack in the wall, and cracks have a way of spreading.

Why a Digital Marketing Coach Is Saying All of This

I know what some of you are thinking. "Kylie, you teach people to use social media. Isn't this a bit... hypocritical?"

No. And here's why.

I teach adults (small business owners) how to use social media as a tool - strategically, intentionally, and with clear boundaries. I help business owners show up online in a way that serves their goals without consuming their lives. I also teach how to use AI ethically, because I'm super passionate about that, too! All of that is very different from defending the unchecked, algorithmically-driven, engagement-at-all-costs model that these platforms have built for children.

You can be a skilled driver and still believe that road safety laws matter. You can be a digital marketing coach and still believe that children deserve protection from platforms that have been engineered to be addictive.

In fact, I'd argue that people inside the industry have a greater responsibility to speak up - because we understand exactly how these systems work.

What Ethical Social Media Use Actually Looks Like

For my clients and community, here's what I advocate:

• Intentionality over compulsion. Use social media with a plan, not out of habit or anxiety.
• Boundaries that protect your energy. Time limits, notification settings, and scheduled posting are not optional extras - they're professional hygiene.
• Scepticism of engagement metrics. Likes and views are not the same as business results. Don't let the algorithm dictate your strategy.
• Advocacy for better platforms. Support regulation. Back the regulators. Demand more from the companies whose tools you use.
• Remember, you DO NOT OWN your social media pages. (Facebook business page, group, or Instagram page) you DO own your email marketing list. Grow this intentionally! 

Social media can be a genuinely powerful tool for connection, community, and commerce. But that doesn't mean we accept every aspect of how it's currently designed and deployed - especially when children are involved.

The Bottom Line

Real change is a slow, messy, non-linear road. The seatbelt took seven years. Tobacco regulation took decades. But it happened - because enough people refused to look away, refused to be distracted, and kept the pressure on.

Australia's under-16 ban is a start. The US liability rulings are a start. The eSafety Commissioner's investigations are a start.

The tech giants are squirming. That means the pressure is working. Keep it up.

The Numbers That Prove Regulation Works: The Seatbelt Story in Full

Still not convinced that slow, contested, imperfect regulation can change the world? Let the seatbelt data do the talking.

The Massive Drop in the Road Toll

In 1970 - the year Australia (actually, just the state of VICTORIA to be precise!) became the first jurisdiction in the world to mandate seatbelts, with the rest of Australia following by 1973 - Australia had a staggering road fatality rate of 30.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Today? That rate has plummeted to roughly 4.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

In 1970 alone, nearly 3,800 Australians lost their lives on the roads - despite the population being half of what it is today. If that 1970 death rate had continued unchecked as our population grew, we would be seeing around 8,000 road deaths a year today. Instead, the national toll sits at around 1,300.

The Survival Metrics

• National crash data shows that you are at least twice as likely to survive a serious crash if you are belted in.
• In the event of a rollover crash, wearing a seatbelt is estimated to reduce fatal injuries by a massive 74%.

The Proof Is in the Non-Compliance

Perhaps the most sobering statistic that proves how well seatbelts work is looking at the people who still don't wear them:

• Today, observational surveys show that around 97% to 98% of Australians wear their seatbelts.
• However, that tiny 2% to 3% who don't wear them consistently account for roughly 15% to 20% of all vehicle occupant fatalities in Australia every single year.

The seatbelt is widely considered the single most effective public health and safety intervention in Australian history.

And it took seven years to reach 90% compliance. Seven years of critics. Seven years of workarounds. Seven years of people insisting it would never work.

Sound familiar?

 

The Social Media Ban for under 16s: Australia Was Just the First Domino to Fall

If you needed any more proof that Australia's move was significant, look at what's happening around the world in 2026. Country after country is either proposing or actively moving forward with their own restrictions - and the momentum is building.

Europe

• Denmark - Expected to implement a ban for children under 15 by mid-2026, with strong cross-party support and a government-backed digital age verification app in development.
• France - Lawmakers have passed a bill banning children under 15 from social media, with President Macron pushing to fast-track Senate approval before the next school year.
• Spain - Drafting legislation to ban social media for children under 16, with measures to hold social media executives personally accountable for hate speech on their platforms.
• Norway - Recently announced plans to legislate a strict age limit of 15, following discussions that began in 2024.
• Slovenia - Currently drafting legislation to ban social media for children under 15, targeting TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram specifically.
• Germany - A proposal to ban social media for children under 14 (or possibly 16) is gaining significant political traction, with debate ongoing about a full ban versus stricter age verification.
• Greece - Government officials have stated they are "very close" to announcing restrictions for children under 15.
• Portugal - Lawmakers have given initial approval to a bill requiring parental consent for children between 13 and 16 to access social media, tied to a digital mobile key system.
• United Kingdom - Currently consulting on a potential under-16 ban, or at minimum requiring platforms to disable features designed to encourage compulsive scrolling for minors.

Asia

• Malaysia - Planning to implement a ban for users under 16 in 2026, with social media accounts to be linked directly to government-issued IDs for age verification.
• Indonesia - Passed legislation in March 2026 restricting users under 16 from platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Meta apps, and Roblox.

Australia really was just the first domino. The world is watching, the world is moving - and the platforms have nowhere left to hide.

Want to Talk About Using Social Media Ethically in Your Business?

If you're a business owner who wants to grow online without compromising your values - or you're not sure how to navigate social media in a way that feels right - I'd love to chat.

Book a free strategy chat with me here. Let's build a social media approach that actually works for you, your business, and your ethics.

 

Huge credit to Kirra Pendergast at Safe on Social because her original thinking sparked this post. Follow her. She's one of the best in the business when it comes to kids and cyber safety.