Home / Technology / Australian Teens Flout Social Media Ban
Australian Teens Flout Social Media Ban
31 Jul
Summary
- Over 80% of Australian teens still use social media post-ban.
- Platforms failed to implement effective age verification checks.
- Parental awareness of teen social media habits declined.
More than eight in ten Australian teenagers continue to use social media, even after a government ban for under-16s began on December 10 last year. The eSafety regulator's study, released on Friday, revealed that social media platforms largely failed to implement effective age checks. This allowed most children aged 10 to 15 to either keep their existing accounts or create new ones.
Usage remained frequent, with about 58% of teens reporting daily or more frequent use, only slightly down from before the ban. Account ownership declined, but a significant majority of those who retained access stated their age was not checked. In response to these findings, the government announced plans to double penalties for non-compliant tech firms and enhance the regulator's information-gathering powers.
