Reuters

Australia considers tougher enforcement of social media ban for teens

ABC News

Labor eyes tougher laws to enforce social media ban for children

The Sydney Morning Herald

We need to be courageous: Albanese plans to go harder on teen social media ban

Assessing early effects of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age Act on adolescents’ social media use: observational study

The Nightly

Anthony Albanese says laws to prompt tech giant action against extremism a priority

Cybersafety

Anthonyalbanese

Blocking social media to the kids will save us all

Australia’s social media ban has not yet disrupted the status quo

Guardian

Australia’s teen social media ban is a flop. But there’s no joy in ‘I told you so’ | Samantha Floreani

‘Very blunt approach’: eSafety Commissioner questions social media ban

eSafety Commissioner

Social Media Minimum Age Compliance Report

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts of Australia

Digital Duty Care Australia Developing Duty Care Framework Online Services Used Australians

Anthony Albanese

9News Australia

Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

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?

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday confirmed that the government is working to strengthen the country's <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/australia-enforces-social-media-ban-for-children-under-">social media ban for under-16s</a>, following comments by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant earlier this month.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday confirmed that the government is working to strengthen the country's social media ban for under-16s, following comments by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant earlier this month.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Grant described the ban as a "very blunt force approach," its legislation as "very thin scaffolding" and alleged she lacked any "potent powers," at a time when <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/australia-probes-social-media-giants-over-teen-ban">the commission is investigating Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for non-compliance</a>.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Grant described the ban as a "very blunt force approach," its legislation as "very thin scaffolding" and alleged she lacked any "potent powers," at a time when the commission is investigating Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for non-compliance.

Acknowledging her concerns, Albanese told Parliament that strengthening the social media ban was a government "priority" to ensure that "Australians are in charge" of social media rather than the "unaccountable" companies that operate it.

Acknowledging her concerns, Albanese told Parliament that strengthening the social media ban was a government "priority" to ensure that "Australians are in charge" of social media rather than the "unaccountable" companies that operate it.

The prime minister also framed the proposed Digital Duty of Care — which the government claims will prevent "serious online harms" — as the next step beyond the existing ban, stating, "we are going to need to do more, and that's what the digital duty of care is about."

The prime minister also framed the proposed Digital Duty of Care — which the government claims will prevent "serious online harms" — as the next step beyond the existing ban, stating, "we are going to need to do more, and that's what the digital duty of care is about."

Justifying the additional legislation, Albanese pointed to the alleged effects of algorithms, which he attributed to driving individuals to "more and more extreme [political] positions," as well as a spike in hospital presentations and documented sexual violence linked to online content.

Justifying the additional legislation, Albanese pointed to the alleged effects of algorithms, which he attributed to driving individuals to "more and more extreme [political] positions," as well as a spike in hospital presentations and documented sexual violence linked to online content.

The remarks come as a study by Australia's University of Newcastle revealed that more than 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect, with two-thirds of underage users bypassing restrictions by self-declaring an age over 16.

The remarks come as a study by Australia's University of Newcastle revealed that more than 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect, with two-thirds of underage users bypassing restrictions by self-declaring an age over 16.

Australia's social media ban was a bold and necessary move to protect children from online harms. However, more needs to be done to stop dangerous algorithms and platforms, along with their damaging consequences, in their tracks. The Australian government is committed to strengthening the existing ban while extending protections even further under a new digital duty of care.

Australia's social media ban was a bold and necessary move to protect children from online harms. However, more needs to be done to stop dangerous algorithms and platforms, along with their damaging consequences, in their tracks. The Australian government is committed to strengthening the existing ban while extending protections even further under a new digital duty of care.

Pro-government narrative

Despite the government's best intentions, it is irrefutable that the social media ban has been a flop, with the vast majority of under-16s remaining on major platforms. If anything, age-gating policies have only exacerbated the issue, as they have let tech companies off the hook for their extractive, algorithm-driven business models, thereby preventing reforms that would build a genuinely safer digital space.

Despite the government's best intentions, it is irrefutable that the social media ban has been a flop, with the vast majority of under-16s remaining on major platforms. If anything, age-gating policies have only exacerbated the issue, as they have let tech companies off the hook for their extractive, algorithm-driven business models, thereby preventing reforms that would build a genuinely safer digital space.

Government-critical narrative

There's an 18% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's an 18% chance that the EU will require mandatory age verification on social media or AI before 2027, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Australia Moves to Toughen Teen Social Media Ban

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Australia Moves to Toughen Teen Social Media Ban

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Government-critical narrative

Metaculus Prediction

Public Figures

The Controversies

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

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Flew

Xintavelonis

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Koskie

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