Australia just started closing Meta accounts for anyone under 16. Yeah, you read that right - the government's actually enforcing a full social media ban for teenagers.

Account terminations are already rolling out as the country prepares to implement what might be the strictest youth social media law globally. Parents and teens are now facing a sudden digital disconnect whether they're ready or not.

This regulatory move raises interesting questions about platform governance and user autonomy. While the stated goal is protecting young users, critics argue it sets a precedent for government overreach into digital spaces. Could this approach spread to other jurisdictions? And what does it mean for the future of open, permissionless platforms versus centrally controlled ones?

The enforcement mechanism itself is worth watching - how do you actually verify age at scale without creating massive privacy concerns? Traditional platforms now face these compliance headaches, which might make decentralized alternatives more attractive long-term.