I'm far too old to be kicked off social media by Australia's social media ban that starts next week, but it could happen to me anyway. The Social Media Minimum Age scheme which starts on 10 December 2025 obliges social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts. That means some adults will have to prove they're over 16 to continue using social media.

If a platform asks me to prove my age I will choose not to do so; instead I'll just stop using that platform.

That's because I think it's not worth risking my personal information being stolen and misused. The Social Media Minimum Age act does contain privacy protections, but so too does the Privacy Act and that hasn't worked. Personal information I have given over the internet to Australian businesses has been stolen by criminals on at least seven occasions already (specifically Canva, digiDirect, Latitude Financial Services, SitePoint, Ticketek, Qantas, and Bunnings via FlexBooker). Legislation doesn't stop hackers. In my opinion the best way to protect my personal information is to not give it out unnecessarily.

As such I have routinely lied about my age online; that way when my information is stolen it can't be used to open bank accounts or trick government departments. On Facebook I'm over 100 years old! Problem now is that if Facebook asks me to prove that I'm over 100 years old I will be unable to, because in reality I'm not even half that.

So I write this just in case I disappear from some platforms next week. I might not be on Facebook or Instagram, but I'll still be online so look for me elsewhere. Maybe I'll start writing here on my blog more?