Five social media platforms investigated over compliance with Australia's under-16 ban

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Anthony Albanese

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Terry Flew

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Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has opened investigations into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for potential noncompliance with the country's social media ban for users under 16, which took effect on Dec. 10, 2025.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has opened investigations into Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for potential noncompliance with the country's social media ban for users under 16, which took effect on Dec. 10, 2025.

The regulator's compliance report identified key gaps, including platforms allowing children who had previously declared ages under 16 to repeatedly attempt age assurance checks until receiving a 16-plus result.

The regulator's compliance report identified key gaps, including platforms allowing children who had previously declared ages under 16 to repeatedly attempt age assurance checks until receiving a 16-plus result.

Nearly one-third of parents surveyed reported their under-16 child had at least one social media account after the ban took effect, with two-thirds of those parents saying the platform had not asked the child's age.

Nearly one-third of parents surveyed reported their under-16 child had at least one social media account after the ban took effect, with two-thirds of those parents saying the platform had not asked the child's age.

Platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million for noncompliance with the ban. Communications Minister Anika Wells said she expects the eSafety Commissioner to "throw the book" at companies that have "systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations."

Platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million for noncompliance with the ban. Communications Minister Anika Wells said she expects the eSafety Commissioner to "throw the book" at companies that have "systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations."

Since the ban's introduction, platforms removed or restricted approximately 4.7 million age-restricted accounts by mid-December 2025, with an additional 300,000 accounts blocked from accessing platforms by early March 2026.

Since the ban's introduction, platforms removed or restricted approximately 4.7 million age-restricted accounts by mid-December 2025, with an additional 300,000 accounts blocked from accessing platforms by early March 2026.

On March 25, 2026, Australia's Minister for Communications registered a new legislative rule tying the definition of age-restricted social media platforms to features such as endless feeds, feedback tools like likes and time-limited content such as disappearing stories.

On March 25, 2026, Australia's Minister for Communications registered a new legislative rule tying the definition of age-restricted social media platforms to features such as endless feeds, feedback tools like likes and time-limited content such as disappearing stories.

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Five social media platforms investigated over compliance with Australian under-16 ban

Five social media platforms investigated over compliance with Australian under-16 ban

Australia

Computers & internet

Australia Probes Social Media Giants Over Teen Ban

Australia Probes Social Media Giants Over Teen Ban

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Australia Probes Social Media Giants Over Teen Ban

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