Social media use on the rise among Australian under-16s despite ban
- On Wednesday, data from Barcelona-based Qustodio showed Australian under-16s are increasing social media use on TikTok and Instagram despite the government's eight-month-old ban.
- Australia implemented the legislation to protect Children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms," barring access to major platforms owned by Meta Platforms and ByteDance.
- Qustodio's research based on 19,000 Australian families found TikTok usage among 13-15-year-olds near pre-ban levels, while WhatsApp usage climbed to 36 per cent.
- Yasmin London, Global Online Safety Expert for Qustodio, said Children might be circumventing restrictions using VPNs or age obfuscation, with no platform fined yet.
- Governments worldwide monitor Australia's experience as a blueprint, with New Zealand announcing plans this week to introduce legislation that could fine companies up to 10 percent of global revenue.
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The use of social networks among children under 16 years of age in Australia has been revived after its ban in late 2025 on this population group, according to data from a parental control application broadcast on Wednesday.
A little more than six months after the Australian law was passed, the data reported on Wednesday, 26 August, by a parental control application show that the teens concerned managed to circumvent the regulations, and used at least as much the platforms as before.
Eight months after Australia’s ban, teen TikTok use is down one percentage point
Eight months into the world’s first under-16 social media ban, 26% of Australian children aged 13 to 15 are still using TikTok, one percentage point below where the figure sat before the law took effect. The data comes from the parental control software maker Qustodio, and it puts numbers to something already visible in the […] This story continues at The Next Web
The ban was imposed in December 2025 is not generating the expected results. Data point to a greater use of social networks, through VPNs that allow falsifying age.
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodaySocial media use rebounds among Australian children despite under-16 ban
SYDNEY, Aug 26 — Australian under-16s are increasing their use of social media apps such as Instagram and Tiktok despite a world-leading ban, data provided by a parental control software company showed today.Australia implemented legislation barring children from social media platforms in December, with the UK, France and others following suit.Youngsters’ use of social media fell across the board when the legal restrictions were first implemente…
The use of social networks among young people under 16 years of age in Australia has increased again after the ban imposed at the end of 2025 on this population category, according to data from a parental control application published on Wednesday, notes AFP. Traffic among children under 16 years of age had fallen at the time of entry into force on December 10, ...
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