With just days left before Australia’s sweeping ban on social-media use by children under 16 comes into force, many teens are flocking to newer, exempt platforms — most notably, Lemon8. The app, owned by ByteDance, has reportedly seen a surge in popularity among younger users precisely because it is not yet included in the prohibition.
According to reporting by media in Australia, Lemon8 will itself enforce a minimum age limit of 16 from next week, in response to mounting pressure from regulators. However, authorities stress that this may not be enough. The country’s online-safety watchdog, eSafety Commission, has warned that it is closely monitoring Lemon8 — and other platforms — for possible inclusion under the ban.
Introduced in 2020, Lemon8 resembles a cross between a photo-sharing and content-discovery platform — often compared to a blend of the look and feel of other social-media services. Its parent company has reportedly encouraged TikTok creators to migrate to Lemon8, promoting it as a “backup” or alternative platform if bans or restrictions affect TikTok or similar services.
But the upcoming nationwide ban, which becomes effective from 10 December 2025 under the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, aims to block children under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on major social-media platforms including the likes of TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and others.
Authorities say the enforcement will begin with age-verification and account audits — but warn that the initial process likely won’t be perfect. According to statements by Anika Wells, Minister for Communications, compliance will take “days or even weeks” to filter out underage users — and she acknowledged that some under-16s would almost certainly slip through the cracks.
The government has also warned Lemon8 and similar platforms that if they become safe havens for underage users — as teens flock to them to circumvent the ban — they too could be folded into the ban. “All platforms are on notice,” Wells said.
Lemon8’s decision to restrict accounts to users over 16 may be a pre-emptive move to avoid being swept up under the new rules. Nevertheless, regulators appear set to keep a close eye on it — and any surge in youth migration to the platform could accelerate its inclusion in the ban.
