More than 80% of children were still using age-restricted social media platforms three months after Australia's under-16 social media ban took effect, according to a new report by Australia's eSafety Commissioner.
The report, which is the first in a two-year evaluation process of the ban, surveyed 803 children aged 10–15 and their parents. It utilized national baseline survey data from before the restrictions took effect in December 2025 and follow-up data collected from March to April 2026.
The eSafety Commissioner identified the ineffective implementation of age assurance measures by platforms as the primary reason for continued social media use. While the number of children holding social media accounts dropped from roughly 52% to 42% after the ban took effect, 81.5% of children reported using at least one platform, compared to 85.9% prior to the restrictions.
Methods of bypassing restrictions
The survey found that more than half of the children interviewed said platforms had not asked them to confirm their age. Many children used other methods to maintain access: 37% said they had simply listed their age as 16 or above on their accounts, and 18% reported that platforms had incorrectly estimated their age to be above 16.
The report also noted early signals that some children were moving to other platforms, such as Reddit and Pinterest. Additionally, the legislation does not restrict use in a logged-out state.
Impact and response
The eSafety Commissioner detected an unintended consequence of the ban: the proportion of parents who did not know their child had used social media increased by 10%. The report found little to no change in offline activities among children three months after the ban began. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he hoped the ban would lead to more kids playing outside with their friends.
An earlier report by the eSafety Commissioner in March raised concerns regarding platform compliance with the legislation. The Australian government now intends to increase penalties and expand the eSafety Commissioner's information-gathering powers. The government has also committed to introducing digital duty of care legislation this year to hold technology companies to account.
Companies selling age-assurance software have called for the Australian government to implement a mandatory independent audit of every platform covered by the restrictions. The Age Verification Providers Association argued that social media companies may opt to wear fines to see the legislation fail.