Australia’s bold attempt to shield children from the harms of social media is showing serious cracks, with a new government report revealing that 70% of teens are still accessing banned platforms just three months after restrictions came into force.
The country’s eSafety Commissioner released its first major assessment of the laws, which prohibit children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. While the report noted that approximately 4.7 million underage accounts had been removed, deactivated, or restricted since December, those headline figures paint a rosier picture than reality.
Workarounds Undermine Enforcement
The same report found that 66.8% of parents whose children still had social media access said platforms had not yet asked their child to verify their age — a fundamental gap in the system. Teens have largely found workarounds, including creating new accounts, rendering the enforcement largely ineffective.
Critically, reports of harm to eSafety from children under 16 have continued, with no noticeable decline in overall numbers since the ban took effect.
Experts Warned This Would Happen
Digital safety experts had cautioned from the outset that blanket bans would fail, advocating instead for digital literacy education. Online interaction is now deeply embedded in young people’s social lives, and restrictions alone are unlikely to reverse that.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has pledged to increase platform compliance efforts, with potential fines for violations expected by mid-year. However, the regulations permit some flexibility in interpretation, making legal enforcement a difficult road ahead.