Majority of Australian kids are still on banned social media platforms, study finds

Many countries are seeking to ban anyone under the age of 16 from social media, but a recent poll calls into question the effectiveness of these laws. The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity that focuses on preventing online harm, recently released a study of 1,050 Australian children aged 12 to 15 in March. The study results showed that 61 percent of people aged 12 to 15 who previously had access to the affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts.

Australia has made the world’s first decision to ban social media for under-16s, effective December 10. Although it has only been a few months since the ban took effect, the foundation’s survey concluded that the ban has no “clear positive or negative impact on children’s well-being.” The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to access restricted platforms said it was easy to circumvent the ban.

“These findings raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s social media ban and show that it would be a high-stakes gamble for the UK to follow suit now,” Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, said in a statement.

The Australian government also released its own findings in March, examining how social media platforms are complying with the ban. According to the government report, Snap, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are currently under investigation for potential non-compliance. The report adds that Australia’s eSafety agency is finalizing these investigations and will make a decision on enforcement by mid-2026. According to the eSafety report, the agency’s enforcement powers include issuing infringement notices, seeking court-ordered injunctions and “civil penalties of up to A$49.5 million”, or approximately US$35 million.