Study: Over 60% of children in Australia still have access to social media despite ban

In Australia, despite restrictions, more than 60% of children still have access to social media.

This is stated in a study by the Molly Rose Foundation and YouthInsight, Sky News reports.

Australiaʼs ban on social media for under-16s came into effect in December 2025, making it the first country in the world to do so. However, researchers have found that teenagers aged 12 to 15 in the country are still using restricted platforms.

According to the study, a significant portion of platforms have actually taken no action to restrict access. Two-thirds of YouTube users, 61% of teens on Snapchat, and about 60% of Instagram and TikTok users said their accounts were never deleted or deactivated after the new rules were implemented.

The survey showed that 61% of parents of children under 16 noticed positive changes in their teenagersʼ behavior after the ban on social media — increased social activity, improved family relationships, and greater involvement of children in communicating with their parents.

Two out of five parents surveyed also noticed a negative impact, including children switching to alternative platforms that are less regulated than official ones.

Companies that fail to monitor childrenʼs access to platforms face fines of up to $49.5 million.

The study was conducted online from March 12 to 31.

Mass ban on social media for children around the world

Following Australia in January, France supported a bill in its first reading to ban social media for children under 15. The bill will then be considered by the Senate (the upper house of parliament) — if it makes any changes, the document will be voted on again in the National Assembly.

If the law is passed, France will become the first country in Europe to introduce a complete ban on social media. The United Kingdom and Spain also want to ban social media for children under 16. Greece, in turn, plans to ban access to social media for children under 15 from January 1, 2027.

Ireland has already launched a test phase of a digital wallet with an age verification feature, which should limit teenagersʼ access to social media.

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