Australia’s headline-grabbing ban on social media for under-16s has yet to meaningfully dent teenagers’ scrolling, according to one of the first formal assessments of the policy.
In December, Australia barred children under 16 from platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, a crackdown pitched as a way to shield young users from online bullying and what officials called “predatory algorithms”.
Early evidence, however, suggests the law has not prompted a broad retreat from social media. Australia-based researchers reported in a peer-reviewed study published by the British Medical Journal that there is little sign teenagers have substantially reduced their use since the restrictions took effect.
Instead, many underage users appear to be finding workarounds — borrowing accounts registered to older people, creating fake profiles, or accessing services through private browsers.
“We found insufficient evidence to conclude that exposure to the Act had any early substantial effects on social media use among adolescents aged under 16,” the researchers wrote.
The results land as governments around the world watch Australia closely, weighing whether its approach could serve as a model for curbing the influence of tech giants that dominate how young people spend their time online.
A growing list of countries have introduced, or are considering, similar restrictions — including the UK, Indonesia, the UAE and New Zealand.
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For the study, researchers surveyed more than 400 young social media users just before the measures began and then again three months later.
They found little change among 12- to 13-year-olds, a modest decline in use among those aged 14-15, and an increase among people aged 16 and older.
“The findings suggest that the period immediately after the introduction of the act was characterised by limited implementation, incomplete compliance, and substantial circumvention of social media restrictions.”
Under the rules, tech companies can be fined up to €30m if they cannot demonstrate meaningful efforts to remove underage users.
In March, Australia accused Facebook, TikTok and YouTube of failing to meet their obligations.
“Australia’s world-leading social media laws are not failing. But big tech is failing to obey the laws,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said at the time.
“None of this is impossible. None of this is even difficult for big tech, who are innovative billion-dollar companies.”
Anika Wells said tech companies were not doing enough to make the restrictions work
Australia’s eSafety Commission separately raised “significant concerns” about Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
The push to limit access has gathered momentum as research increasingly links excessive time online with harms to teenagers’ wellbeing, and Australia’s ban has been welcomed by many parents tired of watching children glued to their phones.
Platforms have said they will comply, but have also cautioned that the restrictions could steer teenagers toward darker, less regulated corners of the internet.
The law places responsibility for age checks squarely on social media companies, which must ensure Australia-based users are 16 or older and show they have taken “reasonable steps” to identify and remove younger teenagers.
Some companies are deploying AI tools that estimate age from photos, while users can also opt to verify their age by uploading a government ID.
