Study: 61% of Australian Youth Retain Social Media Access Despite Ban

A new study has revealed that Australia's pioneering ban on social media for children under 16 has failed to prevent a majority of young users from accessing restricted platforms, raising doubts about the policy's enforcement just months after its introduction.

The research, conducted by the Molly Rose Foundation in collaboration with YouthInsight, surveyed 1,050 Australian children aged 12 to 15 in March. It found that 61 percent of those who used social media before the ban took effect in December still maintain access to at least one account. Overall, 54 percent of children in this age group reported having an active account on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, or Snapchat. The ban, enacted under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, requires platforms to block underage users or face fines of up to AU$32 million, with Australia's eSafety agency investigating potential noncompliance by companies including Snap, TikTok, Meta, and Google. Enforcement decisions are expected by mid-2026, and penalties could reach AU$49.5 million in some cases.

Key findings highlight enforcement gaps at the platform level. More than half of previous users on TikTok and YouTube, at 53 percent,...