Study finds 80% of Australian under-16s still using social media despite ban
By
Anna Bawden
Summary
A study by the University of Newcastle found that over 80% of under-16s in Australia are still using social media three months after the country's landmark ban on under-16s having social media accounts came into force in December 2025. The observational study of 408 adolescents aged 12-17 concluded that the legislation has resulted in "limited implementation." Experts argue the law alone is insufficient to prevent children from accessing harmful content online and that a more convincing strategy is required.
Source
Twitter / XStudy finds 80% of Australian under-16s still using social media despite bantheguardian.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledMore than 80% of under-16s in Australia said they were still using social media three months after legislation banning them from it came into force
Australia is the first country to ban social media for children
limited implementation
You might also wanna read
Australia's social media ban for under-16s failing six months in, young users say
Six months after Australia introduced a world-first social media ban for under-16s, young people report the ban is not working effectively.
abc.net.au·12d ago
Study finds Australia's under-16 social media ban has minimal effect on teen usage
A study evaluating Australia's social media ban for under-16s found the law has had minimal impact on teenagers' social media usage. Underag
rte.ie·2d ago
Australia's Social Media Age Limit Law Sparks Global Interest in Child Online Safety
The article discusses Australia's new law setting the minimum age for social media accounts to 16, which has sparked global interest from ot
afterbabel.com·5mo ago
Australia teen social media ban has little impact: research
ctvnews.ca·3d ago
Australia teen social media ban has little impact: research
ctvnews.ca·3d ago
Global Rise of Internet Age Verification Laws Threatens Youth Access to Digital Spaces
Governments worldwide are increasingly implementing age verification laws and social media bans for minors, with Australia enacting the firs
eff.org·21d ago
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
No comments yet. Be the first.