Australia’s social media ban for under-16s led to only a marginal reduction in underage users in its first three months, underscoring the lack of enforcement of the world-first law by major platforms.
A report Friday by Australia’s online safety regulator showed the proportion of under-16s who reported using a social media platform in March was 81.5%. That compares with 85.9% before the law took effect in December.
Most underage users were able to keep their accounts or create new ones, eSafety said. This was mostly due to a lack of effective age checks on the platforms, it added.
The early findings are a blow to the Australian government, which pushed the ban through parliament despite concerns about the law’s design. The report is also an early gage for politicians worldwide that are weighing similar restrictions on Big Tech.
Australia’s online safety regulator said in March it was investigating Meta Platforms Inc. — the owner of Facebook and Instagram — as well as Snap Inc., TikTok and YouTube for potentially failing to comply with the ban.
“Concerns remain about the compliance of the five platforms,” eSafety said in a statement Friday accompanying its report.
“It is too early to meaningfully assess whether the policy’s intended outcomes have been achieved,” it added, referring to the social media ban.
In a bid to rein in the platforms, the Australian government said in June the fine for breaching the law would double to A$99 million ($70 million).
Friday’s report is the first evaluation of the ban as part of a two-year study following more than 4,000 children and families.
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