More than four in five under-16s in Australia are reportedly still accessing social media platforms, despite legislation that came into force banning them from doing so. An observational study conducted by the University of Newcastle in Australia found that three months after the ban, which prohibits under-16s from having accounts on major platforms such as TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, compliance remains low.
The research, which involved 408 adolescents aged 12 to 17, concluded that Australia's social media minimum age legislation has seen "limited implementation, incomplete compliance, and substantial circumvention of social media restrictions." The authors stated that there was "insufficient evidence to conclude that exposure to the act [of parliament] had any early substantial effects on social media use among adolescents aged under 16 years."
A significant factor identified in teenagers' continued use of these platforms was inadequate age verification checks. Approximately 85% of teenagers in the study reported ongoing social media use, with over half using their own accounts. While two-thirds claimed to have undergone age verification, only a small percentage (5% of 12- to 13-year-olds and 11% of 14- to 15-year-olds) were required to provide official photo ID. The most common checks involved simply asking for their age or requesting a selfie.
Furthermore, a notable proportion of participants actively bypassed the restrictions. Around 15% of 12- to 13-year-olds and 19% of 14- to 15-year-olds admitted to using a fake account, while approximately 3% utilised a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to circumvent the ban. The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the BMJ, suggests that such bans might be more effective in preventing or delaying initial access for very young children, rather than restricting adolescents who are already established users.
These findings carry considerable weight for other nations considering similar measures, including the UK. The UK's proposed social media ban, anticipated for 2027, aims to block under-16s from platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, and Facebook, and restrict communication with strangers on gaming sites such as Roblox. However, experts and campaigners argue that the Australian experience demonstrates that a ban alone is not enough to safeguard children from harmful online content, necessitating a more comprehensive and "convincing strategy."
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the UK's Molly Rose Foundation, warned that without a coherent plan to learn from Australia's experience, the UK's own ban could similarly "unravel," leaving parents with "false hope and a misplaced sense of their children’s safety." Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, echoed this sentiment, stating that a ban should not be viewed as a "silver bullet" and advocating for broader restrictions on harmful features across all online services for children.
Source: University of Newcastle, BMJ