A majority of Australian children under the age of 16 continue to use social media despite a ban implemented last December, according to new research.
Data from the UK-based Molly Rose Foundation and an Australian youth research agency found that 61% of children aged 12 to 15 can still access major platforms just as they did before the restrictions.
According to the survey of 1,050 children, TikTok and YouTube retained 53% of their previous youth users, while Instagram retained 52%.
Researchers reported that children can access these platforms without needing workarounds. The report suggests platforms failed to identify and remove underage accounts during the initial rollout.
Challenges for global regulators
Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned that the Australian results suggest the UK should avoid similar bans.
“These results raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s social media ban and show it would be a high stakes gamble for the UK to follow suit now,” Burrows said in a statement.
He added that parents and children deserve better than a "flawed ban that delivers a false sense of safety."
The foundation is calling for the UK’s Online Safety Act to be updated with a "systemic Duty of Care." This would require tech firms to enforce age restrictions and remove inappropriate content.
The findings arrive as several European nations prepare similar measures. Greece plans to ban social media for children under 15 starting January 2027, while the French Senate recently voted for a similar ban.
In Spain and the Netherlands, governments have also proposed or planned restrictions for children under 16 and 15, respectively.
The UK government is currently conducting a pilot program to test reforms for youth social media access, with a decision on next steps expected following a consultation period ending in late May.
