Australia is preparing tougher enforcement of its under-16 social media ban after early evidence showed many teenagers are still using major platforms despite the country’s landmark restrictions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to “bullet-proof” the laws supporting Australia’s social media ban for under-16s as the government prepares legal action against platforms. Parents and studies have shown teen social media use is “little changed” since Australia’s ban went live in December 2025.
Australia Wants the Law to Survive Legal Challenges
The government’s latest position suggests the ban is moving from announcement to enforcement test.
Reuters reported that Australia plans to stress-test the law, which bans platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube from giving under-16s accounts.
Albanese said the government wants the law to withstand future legal attacks.
The Straits Times quoted Albanese as saying the government wants to make sure the laws are “as strong as possible” and can “withstand any legal challenges”. Albanese told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that one focus would be making sure the eSafety Commissioner is sufficiently empowered to do the job.
Platforms Could Face Major Fines
Australia is preparing legal action against some of the biggest platforms. The eSafety Commissioner and Communications Minister Anika Wells have said they are preparing legal action against five of the biggest platforms. The eSafety Commission and Communications Minister Anika Wells have said they are preparing legal action against multiple platforms.
The financial risk for companies could be significant. Platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million, or about $34 million, if they systemically fail to uphold the ban. The maximum fine as A$49.5 million, or S$44.18 million, for platforms found to have systemically failed to uphold the ban.
The ban is also facing a constitutional challenge. Reddit is separately challenging the ban in Australia’s highest court and is seeking to overturn it on free speech grounds. Reddit is challenging the ban in Australia’s highest court, while the government has said it will defend the lawsuit.
Studies Show Teens Are Still Getting Around the Ban
The government’s push comes after evidence that the ban has not fully stopped teen access. A British Medical Journal paper found 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect, based on a study of 408 adolescents.
The same study showed how young users bypassed platform checks. Two-thirds of underage users stayed online by self-declaring an age over 16 or posting a selfie that the platform accepted as over 16. Two-thirds of underage users stayed online by self-declaring an age over 16 or posting a selfie accepted by the platform as over 16.
Government data also pointed to continued use. Data shared by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner in March showed one-third of Australians under 16 were still on social media. Figure broadly matched March data from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner showing one-third of Australians under 16 were still on social media.
Age Checks Remain the Weak Point
The core enforcement problem appears to be age assurance. Numerous studies have shown age-assurance mechanisms, such as taking a selfie, are easily circumvented by children. Age-assurance mechanisms put in place by tech companies are easily circumvented and that, in many cases, children have never been asked to prove their age.
That creates a difficult policy question. If age checks are too weak, the ban may be ineffective. If age checks become too strict, platforms could face new privacy and identity-verification concerns, especially for young users.
Social Norms May Be Starting to Shift
Despite enforcement problems, some experts say the ban may still be changing public attitudes. Susan Sawyer, a professor of adolescent health at the University of Melbourne and adviser to the eSafety Commissioner, said parents are now much more willing to police their children’s social media use. Sawyer said parents are now much more willing to police their kids’ social media use.
Sawyer said that there is evidence that social norms are starting to change around “what is the right age to get a phone”.
Australia’s experiment is being watched overseas. The country’s six-month-old experiment is being closely watched by many nations seeking to emulate it over concerns about youth mental and physical health. Britain and many other countries are seeking to emulate the ban, while Britain has planned restrictions that go further by also affecting gaming and live-streaming platforms.
For Australia, the next challenge is clear: passing a teen social media ban was only the first step. Making it work against platform loopholes, legal challenges and teenagers’ workarounds may be the harder test.
