Australia’s world-first ban on social media for children under 16 is facing growing questions over its effectiveness after a new study found that the vast majority of teenagers are still using social media months after the restrictions came into force.
Research by the country’s eSafety regulator found that more than eight in ten Australian teenagers continued to access social media platforms despite the ban, highlighting the difficulties of enforcing the landmark legislation.
The findings have intensified debate over the policy, which was introduced in December over concerns about the impact of social media on the mental and physical health of children.
However, the Australian government has defended the law, insisting that complete compliance was never expected.
Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said the legislation had already changed the national conversation among parents and encouraged technology companies to take greater responsibility for restricting underage users.
“We’ve had millions of accounts shut down. We never expected that this would have 100% compliance,” he said.
Under the law, social media companies are legally required to prevent under-16s from using their platforms on a large scale, with companies facing penalties of up to A$49.5 million (£25 million) for failing to comply.
The eSafety study found that children aged 10 to 15 were using social media almost as frequently in March as they had before the ban was introduced, while parental awareness of their children’s online activities had declined.
The results have raised concerns about whether stronger enforcement measures may be needed to achieve the objectives of the policy.
The findings also align with earlier data released by the regulator before the Australian government announced plans to tighten enforcement and increase penalties for technology companies that fail to uphold the restrictions.
Australia’s approach is being closely watched internationally as governments grapple with the effects of social media on children.
The United Kingdom has already announced plans to introduce similar restrictions for under-16s, with new measures expected to be implemented in 2027.
While critics argue that the Australian ban has yet to significantly reduce youth social media use, the government maintains that the legislation is an important step toward protecting children online and holding technology companies accountable for age verification and platform safety.
