Hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Australia awoke in December to find their social media accounts deactivated, under a new law that bars anyone younger than 16 from the platforms. The measure requires social media sites—including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—to disable the accounts of underage Australians. Companies failing to comply face fines of up to $33 million. (See “Anti-Social” in the March 10, 2025, issue of Upfront.) Some Australian teens support the ban, accusing social media companies of taking advantage of young, malleable brains. Others call it unfair. “They’re ripping away something that has grown on us and become more part of our lives every day,” says Jasmine Bentley, 15, who lives near Melbourne. Two teens filed a challenge to the law in the country’s high court, arguing that it infringes on their right to political communication. But other young people welcomed the government’s action. “We deserve the chance to figure out who we are without algorithms telling us what to like, what to think, and how to feel,” says Flossie Brodribb, a 12-year-old from Tasmania.