After ban, most young Australians continue using social media, report points out

Three months after Australia implemented the ban on social media access for those under 16, most teenagers continue to use these platforms, according to a report by eSafety.

The eSafety report indicated that the effectiveness of the new regulation was diminished by the lack of adequate systems for verifying user age.

The result fell short of expectations

In practice, the changes were minimal. According to Reuters, more than eight in ten teenagers still accessed at least one social network a few months after the law came into effect, on December 10 of the previous year. Before the new rule, approximately 86% of surveyed young people used at least one platform with an age restriction. After the change, this index remained above 81%, which represents a small reduction.

eSafety attributed this scenario to the difficulty of the platforms themselves in correctly confirming users' ages. Most of the under-16s who had previous accounts managed to keep them or create new accounts three months later, citing the lack of effective mechanisms from the platforms to check age.

The survey detailed several points: more than 8 in 10 teenagers continued to use social media; the proportion of accounts decreased from 52% to 42%; daily use remained almost stable, dropping from about 60% to 58%; and Reddit usage grew from 6% to over 9%, in addition to an increase in the use of messaging apps and online games.

Age verification remains a challenge

About half of the teenagers who kept their accounts reported that the platform never verified their age. Others mentioned that their profiles already indicated 16 or older, or that the systems mistakenly classified them as older.

These findings corroborate previous assessments by eSafety and have prompted an investigation into possible non-compliance with the legislation by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. The regulatory agency stated that although eSafety has noticed some improvements from the industry since the March update on minimum age, concerns persist regarding compliance with the rule by these five platforms.

Teenagers' routine changed little

The research also found few modifications in the daily activities of young people, such as sports practices, physical exercise, arts, music, socializing with friends and family, and participation in community events.

Additionally, more than 65% of young people stated that the ban did not affect their lives. The study also pointed out that parents started monitoring their children's social media use less, which could complicate the detection of risks and delay interventions if problems arise in the digital environment.

This report was based on data collected from over 4,000 children and families before the law took effect and three months after. It is the first report of a planned two-year follow-up aimed at evaluating the effects of this Australian policy, which is globally pioneering.