PROJECT: SSS ADVOCATES AUSTRALIA'S RESTRICTION OF MINORS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
- Isabel Spies
- Dec 5
- 7 min read
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Specialised Security Services (SSS) has long warned about the catastrophic impact
that unrestricted social media access has on children and teenagers.
The time has come to make an unambiguous, powerful, and uncompromising public statement.
MR. MIKE BOLHUIS:
“ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY: RESTRICT MINORS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA.”
This message must be unmistakable.
Just as society sets clear age limits for driving a vehicle, consuming alcohol,
and participating in high-risk activities, the same principle must apply to social media.
Children are not neurologically, psychologically, or emotionally equipped to absorb
the extreme dangers inherent to these platforms.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. URGENT. FOR EVERYONE.
Australia has already taken decisive action.
Mr. Mike Bolhuis and the specialist investigators of SSS wholeheartedly agree with
and support Australia’s decision to place strict age-based restrictions on social media access.
SSS strongly urges South Africa — and the rest of the world — to follow suit without delay.
Our previous SSS projects have repeatedly highlighted the severe, long-term damage already inflicted on children owing to unregulated online exposure: cyberbullying, grooming, extortion, pornography distribution, online predators, exploitation networks, and widespread psychological harm. The evidence is overwhelming and deeply troubling.
Social media organisations must now take extreme and immediate note.
They must accept full accountability for the harm already caused and for their ongoing failure to protect minors.
Furthermore:
Social media organisations must implement strict monitoring protocols.
They must adapt to rigorous rules, regulations, and compliance mechanisms designed to safeguard children worldwide.
Should they fail to do so, they must be held fully accountable for the consequences.
The reality is clear: social media has proven dangerous and harmful, especially for minors who lack the capacity to process its risks. The damage is already visible — and undeniable.
SSS reaffirms its unwavering stance:
“Let us protect the children of the world.”
Mr. Mike Bolhuis and our associated specialist investigative teams remain fully committed to this mission.
Social media organisations must implement strong monitoring protocols or take accountability.
With the social media ban coming into effect on 10 December 2025, this document addresses key questions about what it entails and its impact on young people.
Use this link to go to our first Project explaining the new Australian Landmark:
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN?
The Australian Government passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2024 on 28 November 2024.
This law introduces a mandatory minimum age of 16 for accounts on certain social media platforms.
It will take effect on 10 December 2025.
Parents cannot give consent for under-16s to use these platforms.
WHY IS THE SOCIAL MEDIA BAN HAPPENING?
The government states the ban is needed to protect the mental health and well-being of Australian children and teens, believing the risks of social media, such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, online predators, and design features that encourage excessive screen time, outweigh the benefits.
A government-commissioned study in 2025 found 96% of children aged 10-15 used social media, with seven out of 10 exposed to harmful content (including misogynistic/violent material, content promoting eating disorders, and suicide).
One in seven reported experiencing grooming-type behaviour, and over half said they had been victims of cyberbullying.
WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS DOES THE BAN APPLY TO?
Ten platforms are currently included:
Facebook & Instagram.
TikTok.
Snapchat.
X (formerly Twitter).
Reddit.
YouTube.
Twitch.
Threads.
Kick.
Tech companies that own these platforms face fines of up to $50 million (A$49.5m) for serious or repeated breaches if they do not take "reasonable steps" to stop under-16s from having accounts.
Exemptions include: Messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp, Messenger Kids), online games, educational/health services (e.g., Google Classroom, Kids Helpline), and AI chatbots. YouTube Kids is also exempt. Under-16s can still view content on platforms that do not require an account.
HOW WILL AGE VERIFICATION BE ENFORCED?
Social media companies must use multiple age assurance technologies and cannot rely on self-certification or parental consent. Methods may include:
Government ID Checks (e.g., Driver’s Licence, Passport).
Facial or Voice Recognition / Age Estimation.
Credit Card or Bank Account Verification.
"Age Inference" (analysing online behaviour).
Third-Party Age Verification Services.
Meta began closing teen accounts from 4 December 2025, allowing those mistakenly blocked to use ID or a video selfie to prove age.
Snapchat allows verification via bank accounts, photo ID, or selfies.
CONSEQUENCES:
Children and parents will not be punished.
The responsibility and potential penalties lie entirely with the tech companies, which must create systems to prevent under-16s from creating or keeping accounts.
CRITICISMS AND CHALLENGES:
EFFECTIVENESS CONCERNS:
Critics argue that the limited scope (excluding gaming, dating sites, and AI chatbots) undermines protection.
Some suggest education on safe navigation would be more effective.
TECHNOLOGY RELIABILITY:
Government trials found facial age-estimation technology least reliable for teenagers, potentially blocking adults or failing to spot underage users.
CIRCUMVENTION RISKS:
Teens may use VPNs to bypass restrictions or create fake profiles, which platforms are required to identify and remove.
SCALE OF FINES:
Critics note fines may be insufficient relative to platform revenue.
Communications Minister Annika Wells has conceded the ban may not be "perfect," stating, "It's going to look a bit untidy on the way through."
Stay informed as the 10 December 2025 effective date approaches.
MR MIKE BOLHUIS: STRONG SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTIONS TO PROTECT CHILDREN
Mr Mike Bolhuis, a specialist in safety and security and a leading expert on crimes committed by social media perpetrators — particularly those targeting children — voices his unequivocal support for the international movement to ban and restrict minors’ access to social media platforms.
Social media has become one of the primary contributors to the destruction of individuals and society as a whole.
Its impact spans every age group, from infants to the elderly, leaving a trail of emotional, physical, material, and even spiritual devastation.
In countless cases, the consequences escalate to the most tragic outcomes, including suicide and murder.
In addition to these dangers, social media has now emerged as the number one addiction worldwide.
The severity of this addiction significantly alters human behaviour, often drastically and destructively.
The psychological and neurological impact on developing children is especially alarming, placing them at extreme risk of exploitation, manipulation, and long-term harm.
Mr Bolhuis reaffirms his position: the protection of children from online predators, cybercriminals, and harmful digital environments is an urgent priority.
Strong, enforceable restrictions — supported by international precedents — are essential to safeguarding the world's most vulnerable.
Social media has had an overwhelming and deeply damaging influence on children.
It has become usurping, isolating, and controlling, drawing young people into a digital world that consumes their physical, emotional, spiritual, and material lives.
Children are increasingly living on social media instead of living in the real world.
This domination of their time and attention has led to a profound breakdown in genuine, face-to-face communication.
It has further restricted healthy physical activities such as sport, family interaction, outdoor excursions, and social engagement, replacing these essential developmental experiences with endless screen time and digital dependency.
The long-term consequences for children’s development, relationships, and overall well-being are severe, urgent, and impossible to ignore.
Social media has the power to completely and utterly control and usurp each and every one of us.
THE QUESTION EACH PARENT MUST ANSWER WITHOUT FAIL:
DO YOU WANT TO BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR CHILDREN OR
DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF SOCIAL MEDIA?
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Regards,
Mike Bolhuis
Specialist Investigators into
Serious Violent, Serious Economic Crimes & Serious Cybercrimes
PSIRA Reg. 1590364/421949
Mobile: +27 82 447 6116
E-mail: mike@mikebolhuis.co.za
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