A recent study by Australia’s internet regulator, eSafety, reveals that over eight in 10 Australian children under 16 continue to use social media platforms despite a government ban implemented on December 10, 2025. The report found that most children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March 2026 as before the ban.

“Most under-16s who had social media accounts before commencement were able to either retain them or create new ones at the three-month mark, with social media platforms’ failure to implement effective age assurance measures cited as the main reason,” eSafety said in a statement. About half of these children reported that platforms had not checked their age, allowing them to remain on the services. Others said their accounts listed them as aged 16 or older, or that age-checking systems had incorrectly determined they were older.

Prior to the ban, nearly 86% of children surveyed reported using at least one age-restricted platform; three months later, that figure remained above 81%, according to the eSafety report.

Days after the ban took effect, Reddit, one of the ten platforms required to block minors, challenged the ban in Australia’s High Court while continuing to comply with it.

Additionally, research published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in October 2025 highlights global concerns among children about the misuse of AI for online child sexual exploitation and “deepfakes.”

Sources