{"id":"F2025L00889","name":"Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025","slug":"online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":442906,"registerId":"F2025L00889-fast-fetch-1775957820064","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Online Safety (Age-Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.jpeg)\n\n \n\nOnline Safety (Age‑Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025\n\nI, Anika Wells, Minister for Communications, make the following rules.\n\nDated 29 July 2025\n\nAnika Wells\n\nMinister for Communications\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Definitions\n\nPart 2—Age‑restricted social media platforms\n\n5 Classes of services that are not age‑restricted social media platforms\n\n \n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n\n \n\n1  Name\n\n  This instrument is the Online Safety (Age‑Restricted Social Media Platforms) Rules 2025.\n\n2  Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n \n\n- Commencement information\n- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3\n- Provisions Commencement Date/Details\n- 1. The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered. 31 July 2025\n\n\nNote: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.\n\n3  Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Online Safety Act 2021.\n\n4  Definitions\n\n  In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Online Safety Act 2021.\n\nPart 2—Age‑restricted social media platforms\n\n \n\n5  Classes of services that are not age‑restricted social media platforms\n\n (1) For the purposes of paragraph 63C(6)(b) of the Act, electronic services in each of the following classes are specified:\n\n (a) services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to communicate by means of messaging, email, voice calling or video calling;\n\n (b) services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to play online games with other end‑users;\n\n (c) services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to share information (such as reviews, technical support or advice) about products or services;\n\n (d) services that have the sole or primary purpose of enabling end‑users to engage in professional networking or professional development;\n\n (e) services that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the education of end‑users;\n\n (f) services that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the health of end‑users;\n\n (g) services that have a significant purpose of facilitating communication between educational institutions and students or students’ families;\n\n (h) services that have a significant purpose of facilitating communication between providers of health care and people using those providers’ services.\n\n (2) In determining whether a service is in any of the classes set out in subsection (1), disregard any of the following purposes:\n\n (a) the provision of advertising material on the service;\n\n (b) the generation of revenue from the provision of advertising material on the service.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument does not amend the Online Safety Act; it specifies which classes of electronic services are excluded from being treated as age‑restricted social media platforms for paragraph 63C(6)(b). It therefore clarifies the Act’s operational scope by listing excluded service types (s5(1)) and instructing that advertising purpose or revenue be disregarded in that assessment (s5(2)), rather than expanding the Act’s obligations."},"complexity_factors":["Reliance on purposive tests — terms like “sole or primary purpose” and “significant purpose” in s5(1) require factual, case‑by‑case interpretation (s5(1)).","External cross‑reference — the instrument operates only for the purposes of paragraph 63C(6)(b) of the Online Safety Act 2021, so understanding effect requires reading the Act alongside this instrument (s3; s4 definition of Act).","Mixed‑purpose platforms — many services combine communications, social, commercial and advertising functions, creating borderline cases and classification disputes (s5(1) vs s5(2)).","Advertisement carve‑out — s5(2) instructs to disregard advertising purpose or ad revenue, which may shift incentive structures and complicate demonstrations of class membership.","Short form instrument — brevity reduces procedural guidance (no tests, thresholds, or evidentiary rules), leaving administrative discretion and potential litigation over application.","Overlaps between listed classes (e.g. educational platforms with social features) increase interpretive and compliance burden on providers."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument identifies specific kinds of online services that are NOT treated as “age‑restricted social media platforms” under paragraph 63C(6)(b) of the Online Safety Act 2021. It mechanically exempts services whose sole/primary purpose is messaging, email, voice/video calling, online gaming, product/service information sharing, professional networking, education or health support, and services linking schools or health providers with users; it also directs decision‑makers to ignore advertising or advertising revenue when assessing those purposes."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function suggested by its title and enabling Act: it specifies exemptions to the age-restricted social media platform definition. The scope remains tightly focused on carving out specific service classes from the age verification requirements, without expanding into unrelated regulatory areas."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (only 5 sections)","Only 1 defined term ('Act')","Simple list structure with 8 exemption categories","Single cross-reference to section 63C(6)(b) of the Online Safety Act 2021","One interpretive rule (subsection 5(2)) that is straightforward","No nested conditions or exceptions to exceptions","Clear 'sole or primary purpose' and 'significant purpose' tests"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument narrows which online services must comply with the Online Safety Act’s rule that platforms prevent under‑16s from holding accounts by listing service types that are exempt — e.g., messaging, gaming, education, health, professional networking, and school or healthcare communication tools.  \n\nCrucially, advertising features are ignored when deciding exemption status. The Rules determine which apps and sites must block under‑16s and which can continue to serve younger users, affecting families, schools and providers."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025","history":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/online-safety-age-restricted-social-media-platforms-rules-2025/documents"}}