Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban Shows Limited Effectiveness and Raises New Risks

The Australian government’s world-first ban on social media use by children under 16 has largely failed to achieve its intended goals. Despite the legislation, roughly seven in ten children continue to access major social media platforms. The eSafety report indicates no significant reduction in cyberbullying or image-based abuse among young users. Experts in digital wellbeing, youth mental health, and civil society organisations had repeatedly warned the government about the policy’s likely ineffectiveness, yet their advice was largely ignored. The approach relies on flawed facial age estimation and age-gating software, which not only struggles with accuracy but also introduces new privacy and security vulnerabilities. Notably, the breach exposing approximately 70,000 government ID photos during Discord’s age verification process highlights these risks. Critics argue that the ban fails to tackle the core issues of harmful online content, exploitative algorithms, and the extractive business models of major tech companies. While the government has pursued enforcement against tech firms for non-compliance, the underlying problems remain unaddressed, leaving children and broader online communities exposed to potential harms. Observers suggest that regulatory measures targeting digital duty of care and platform accountability may be more effective in genuinely protecting young Australians online. This outcome serves as a cautionary tale for other nations considering similar bans.