Melbourne: Australian teenagers took to social media one last time to say goodbye to their followers and mourn the loss of the platform that shaped much of their lives, before the world's first-ever social media ban comes into effect on Wednesday.
According to Thai News Agency, in the hours before the ban was to take effect at midnight Australian time, or 8 pm on Tuesday, farewell messages poured in from teenagers - and adults - across platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit. Josh Partington, a 29-year-old creator from Melbourne who makes videos about Australian life for his over 75,000 followers on TikTok, posted that he will miss his younger followers.
Australia has ordered 10 major platforms, including TikTok, Alphabet's YouTube, and Meta's Instagram and Facebook, to block approximately one million users under the age of 16, or face hefty fines. The government says around 200,000 accounts have been deactivated on TikTok alone, with hundreds of thousands more to be blocked in the coming days. This move leaves young Australians facing a loss of access to their favorite apps with mixed feelings of sadness, amusement, and disbelief.
One TikTok user expressed uncertainty about the future of their account, writing, "See you in a few years," while others urged their followers to join alternative platforms such as Yope, Lemon8, and Coverstar, which are not yet covered by the new law. On Reddit, one user posted a farewell message expressing sadness over losing access to social connections and music playlists.
As the ban approached, some users stayed online until midnight, sharing clips of countdown clocks set to Adele's "Skyfall" with the lyrics "this is the end." Meanwhile, others voiced frustration with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has reportedly lost followers on TikTok and Instagram since Tuesday. Some users commented on Albanese's TikTok account, expressing their intention to remember this moment when they become eligible to vote.