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A report by Australia’s online safety regulator revealed that children can easily bypass social media age restrictions, prompting the government to enforce a landmark ban for users under 16 by late 2025. The study, combining national survey results with responses from major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch, highlighted widespread underage access.
Despite social media companies restricting users under 13, the report found 80% of Australian children aged 8 to 12 used these platforms in 2024, with YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat being the most popular. While all platforms except Reddit required users to input their birth date at sign-up, they relied solely on self-declaration without additional age verification measures.
The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, emphasized that social media platforms must strengthen age enforcement mechanisms ahead of the upcoming regulation. YouTube, which allows supervised accounts for children under 13, is set to be exempt from the ban. However, the report found that no underage users faced account shutdowns.
Around 95% of teens under 16 accessed at least one of the surveyed platforms. While TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, and YouTube implemented proactive age detection tools, other platforms, despite having the technology, did not. TikTok stated it had removed over one million suspected underage Australian users since 2023. Meanwhile, Meta suggested app stores should enforce age restrictions instead.
The findings stress the need for stronger verification measures to uphold the new legislation. As social media companies refine their age detection systems, Australia’s move may set a global precedent for stricter online safety regulations.
