The Australian government has defended its landmark ban on social media access for children under 16, despite a new study showing that most teenagers continue to use social media months after the law took effect.
The legislation, introduced in December 2025, was designed to protect children's mental and physical well-being and has attracted global attention as the first policy of its kind. However, Australia's online safety regulator (eSafety) found that more than 80% of teenagers were still active on social media three months after the restrictions began.
Responding to the findings, Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said the government never expected full compliance but argued the law had already changed the national conversation about children's online safety.
"We've had millions of accounts shut down," Leigh said, adding that laws can still be effective even if they are not followed by everyone, comparing the policy to minimum drinking-age laws.
The eSafety report also found that children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March as they had before the ban took effect. It further revealed that parents had become less aware of their children's online activities.
In response, the Australian government has announced plans to strengthen enforcement by increasing penalties for technology companies that fail to prevent underage users from accessing their platforms.
The policy continues to face criticism from major social media companies, many of which are based in the United States, while several countries are closely monitoring Australia's approach as they consider similar measures.
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