Australia social media ban raises effectiveness concerns as most minors can still access platforms — study

Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 is facing mounting questions over its effectiveness, with new data showing that most minors continue to access restricted platforms months after the policy took effect.

A research briefing by the Molly Rose Foundation, UK-based charity, found that 61 percent of children aged 12 to 15 who previously had social media accounts still have access to at least one active account, highlighting gaps in enforcement and platform compliance.

Molly Rose Foundation

“More than half of children who previously had TikTok, YouTube and Instagram accounts still remain able to use accounts on these platforms. While a significant proportion of accounts have been deactivated, 53 percent of previous TikTok users, 53 percent of YouTube users and 52 percent of Instagram users are still able to access an account on these platforms,” said in the study.

Access remains widespread across major platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, where more than half of previous users continue to use their accounts. The study also noted that some minors were able to open new accounts after the ban, suggesting that restrictions have not fully prevented new sign-ups.

Molly Rose Foundation

Circumvention appears relatively easy. Around 70 percent of minors who retained access said bypassing restrictions was “easy,” while many reported that no action was taken by platforms to remove their accounts in the first place.

The findings also raise concerns about the policy’s impact on safety. More than half (51 percent) of respondents said the ban made no difference to how safe they feel online, while some reported feeling less safe, pointing to limited immediate benefits from the restrictions.
While there are early signs of shifting behavior—such as increased use of messaging apps and gaming platforms—the data suggests that access restrictions alone may not be enough to address online risks without stronger enforcement and platform accountability.

Molly Rose Foundation

”This data suggests that, at least in the medium term, an Australia-style ban is unlikely to deliver the improvements in safety that parents and children deserve and demand. At worst, the Australian ban risks giving parents a false sense of safety, with children still freely able to use social media platforms, but with tech firms let off the hook in terms of their safety-by-design and safeguarding responsibilities,” the study said.

“Given the substantial questions raised by this research, it would be deeply imprudent for the UK or other countries to follow suit with social media bans at this point. The question marks about the efficacy and implementation of Australia’s ban are significant and unresolved,” it added.