More than eight in 10 Australian teens are still on social media despite the country’s landmark ban introduced last year.
Australia has defended its world-first ban on social media for under-16s after a study found there had been little drop in use months after the ban took effect.
Ministers backed the landmark policy on Saturday, just a day after the nation’s internet regulator found that more than eight in ten Australian teenagers were still using social media.
The ban came into effect in December due to concerns about the impact of social media on the mental and physical health of children.
The ban has drawn criticism from social media companies, mostly based in America.
Australia’s legislation means tech companies now have a legal duty to stop under-16s using their platforms at scale.
If they fail to do so, they could face fines of up to $49.5million (£25million).
Confronted with the regulator’s findings, Andrew Leigh, assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and treasury, argued the ban had already reshaped the national debate.
He said the ban has been “an important game changer in the conversation among parents”, according to an official transcript.
He went on: “We’ve had millions of accounts shut down. We never expected that this would have 100 percent compliance. We don’t get 100 percent compliance out of minimum drinking age laws, but it’s still appropriate that we have that law on the books.”
Despite Mr Leigh’s confidence, the eSafety study shows the scale of the challenge confronting the landmark policy.
It found that children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March as they had before the ban came into force on 10 December, while parental awareness of their online habits had actually declined.
The findings broadly matched snapshot data eSafety published in March, three months before the centre-left Labour government unveiled plans for tougher enforcement, including doubling the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms that fail to uphold the ban.
Australia’s policy is being closely watched abroad. In the UK, ministers have announced plans for a similar ban on social media for under-16s, with the new restrictions expected to be introduced in 2027.
