More than 80% of Australian teenagers continued using social media platforms three months after the government’s historic ban on platforms for under-16s went into effect. The country’s internet regulator found that tech companies had failed to implement effective age verification measures. A recent study released on Friday revealed that most children between ages 10 and 15 were using social media as often in March as they did before the ban was introduced on December 10 of the previous year. Parental awareness of their habits also decreased during this period.
Despite a dip in actual account ownership—from 52% to 42%—children still maintained their accounts or created new ones, with significant declines observed mainly on YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok, according to the report. “Most under-16s who had social media accounts before the ban either kept them or made new ones after three months, mainly because platforms failed to enforce proper age verification measures,” eSafety stated.
Australia’s pioneering ban was driven by concerns over the adverse effects of social media on the mental and physical health of young people. Many other nations are now watching closely and considering similar restrictions.
Before the ban, about 86% of children surveyed used at least one platform with age restrictions. Three months later, that number remained above 81%. Around 58% of teenagers reported using social media daily or more frequently, a slight decrease from approximately 60% prior to the ban. Many who still kept their accounts indicated that platforms did not verify their age, or they listed themselves as 16 or older, or automated age-check systems incorrectly assessed their age.
The findings align with data released by eSafety in late March. Following that update, authorities launched investigations into possible violations by five major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. In June, the government announced plans to double penalties for firms that fail to comply with the ban and to enhance eSafety’s authority to require companies to provide evidence of their efforts to prevent under-16s from creating accounts.
While some improvements have been observed since the March update, concerns about compliance remain. Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The report was compiled by an international team of university researchers, analyzing data from over 4,000 children and their families collected before and three months after the ban’s implementation. It marks the first release in a two-year effort to evaluate the ban’s impact, which stands out as a global first.