20% of Australian Teens Still Using TikTok, Snapchat Despite Ban

Is Australia's social media ban protecting youth or pushing them to riskier unmoderated platforms?

Published 13 hours ago

20% of Australian Teens Still Using TikTok, Snapchat Despite Ban

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Above: Social media app icons for Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and Reddit displayed on a smartphone in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 11. Image credit: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Australia's groundbreaking social media ban for users under 16 has delivered concrete results, with more than 4.7 million youth accounts deactivated since December. Every account taken down represents another opportunity for a young person to develop their identity offline, safe from the addictive algorithms and countless dangers of the digital world.

Prime Minister of Australia eSafety Commissioner

Government-critical narrative

Qustodio's data has confirmed what many have warned, that banning social media for teenagers will not work. After all, this tech-savvy generation has the tools and skills to avoid the restrictions and migrate to unmoderated platforms, where they are at greater risk. Rather than bans, the government should prioritize measures that are actually viable, such as education and parental guidance.

Nature CEPA

Cynical narrative

Australia's under-16 social media ban represents classic government overreach disguised as child protection. Requiring platforms to enforce mandatory age verification forces every Australian user to submit to invasive identity checks, biometrics or behavioral tracking. This lays the foundation for nationwide digital ID surveillance, enabling the state to monitor, trace and potentially censor online activity and speech. Teens bypass it effortlessly via VPNs or fake details, rendering the "ban" ineffective while the infrastructure for broader control quietly expands.

Katherine Deves on X