Australia Tightens Under-16 Social Media Ban After 85% of Teens Bypass It

Australia’s federal government proposed new legislation on Saturday to tighten the country’s under-16 social media ban, after research showed the vast majority of teens have found ways around it.

The original ban, which took effect in December 2025, was the first of its kind globally. But a study led by researchers at the University of Newcastle suggests it hasn’t changed much in practice.

“We found insufficient evidence that the legislation has had any early, substantial impact on under-16 social media use,” the research team wrote in their paper. The early rollout, they said, was characterized by “limited enforcement, incomplete compliance, and widespread evasion.”

The study surveyed 408 Australian teenagers aged 12 to 17 before the ban took effect and again three months later. More than 85% of under-16 participants were still using restricted platforms at the follow-up mark, with 54% to 67% accessing them through their own accounts.

Teens found several ways around the restrictions. Some used accounts registered by adults, others created fake profiles, and a smaller group accessed platforms through privacy browsers. About 66% of respondents said they had encountered age verification systems — most commonly being asked to enter their own birth date (24% to 39%) or uploading a photo for age estimation software (13% to 27%). Between 15% and 19% admitted to using fake accounts, while 6% to 11% used privacy browsers to bypass checks.

The data reveals a mixed picture by age group. Among 12- and 13-year-olds, daily social media use stayed roughly flat across the three months. The 14-to-15 cohort saw a modest decline from 78% to 69%. Among users aged 16 and older, who are legally allowed on the platforms, usage actually ticked up from 80% to 89%, suggesting the ban has done little to shift overall engagement patterns.

Australia’s new bill aims to close the enforcement gaps the study identified. The government has not released full details, but the legislation is expected to target the verification loopholes that have made the current ban largely symbolic in practice.