More than 80% of Australian teenagers continued to engage with social media platforms three months after the government enforced a ban on access for minors under 16. This continuation of use is attributed to the technology companies’ failure to implement effective age verification measures, according to the country’s internet regulatory authority, eSafety.
A study released on Friday revealed that most children aged 10 to 15 reported using social media as frequently in March as they did before the ban took effect on December 10 last year. However, awareness among parents regarding their children’s online habits has decreased.
While overall ownership of social media accounts among children fell from 52% to 42%, there were still significant statistical declines, particularly on platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. Despite the drop, the continued use of social media among youth has raised concerns.
Accounts Remain Active or New Ones Created
According to eSafety, “Most young individuals under 16 who held social media accounts prior to the ban managed to either keep their existing accounts or create new ones within three months, primarily due to the platforms’ ineffective age verification measures.”
This ban marked the world’s first of its kind, introduced in response to worries regarding social media’s impact on children’s mental and physical health. Many countries are closely monitoring Australia’s implementation to develop their own restrictions.
Prior to the ban, nearly 86% of children indicated they were active on at least one age-restricted platform. Three months later, this figure remained above 81%, as stated in the report.
Approximately 58% of adolescents reported using social media daily or more frequently, a slight decrease from around 60% before the ban, according to the findings.
The report also noted minimal changes regarding children’s participation in sports, physical activities, arts and music, time spent with friends and family, and involvement in community events.
Authorities to Increase Penalties
About half of the children who retained their accounts indicated that the platforms did not verify their ages, which was the most common reason for their continued access to these services. Others claimed their accounts were set to indicate they were 16 or older, or that the age verification systems incorrectly assessed their ages.
The findings broadly aligned with the preliminary data released by eSafety at the end of March.
Following the March update, eSafety announced investigations into potential violations of the rules by five platforms: Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google’s YouTube.
In June, the government declared it would double the maximum fines imposed on technology firms that fail to comply with the ban and would enhance eSafety’s information-gathering powers.
“Although eSafety has observed some improvements from the industry since the March update regarding minimum age requirements for social media, concerns about compliance with regulations regarding these five platforms persist,” stated the regulatory authority.
