Australia defends social media ban for under-16s

The Australian government has defended its ban on social media use by children under the age of 16, despite new data

The Australian government has defended its ban on social media use by children under the age of 16, despite new data showing that most teenagers continue to access restricted platforms months after the law came into effect.

The legislation, introduced in December, was designed to protect children from the harmful effects of social media on their mental and physical health. The policy attracted international attention, with Australia becoming the first country to implement such a nationwide restriction on underage social media users.

A recent report by Australia’s online safety regulator found that more than eight in ten teenagers under the age of 16 were still using social media platforms three months after the restrictions became operational. The findings have highlighted the challenges governments face in enforcing digital regulations.

Despite the report, Australian authorities insisted that the policy remains an important step toward creating a safer online environment for children. Officials said the law has already influenced public discussion about online safety and encouraged greater awareness among parents, educators and technology companies.

Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh said the government never expected complete compliance immediately after the law came into force. He explained that many public safety laws require time before they achieve widespread compliance.

Leigh said the government considers the legislation successful because it has changed the national conversation about children’s use of social media and encouraged stronger action to protect young users from harmful online content.

He noted that millions of social media accounts had already been closed or restricted since the implementation of the law. According to the minister, this demonstrates that the legislation is already having an impact, even if some teenagers continue to access online platforms.

The government also stressed that technology companies have a major responsibility to ensure compliance with the new rules. Officials said digital platforms must strengthen age verification systems and take effective measures to prevent underage users from creating or maintaining accounts.

Regulatory authorities are continuing to assess how well social media companies are implementing the restrictions. They are also examining additional measures that could improve enforcement and ensure technology firms meet their legal obligations.

Experts say the latest findings illustrate the complexity of regulating online platforms, particularly as social media has become deeply integrated into the daily lives of young people. They note that effective enforcement will require cooperation between governments, parents, schools and technology companies.