More than 60% of Australian children still using social media despite ban for under-16s, research shows

New research from the Molly Rose Foundation suggests Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s is proving largely ineffective. Polling of 12- to 15-year-olds found that 61% of children who previously had accounts still use restricted platforms, including TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Many said companies had taken no action to remove their accounts, and half reported no improvement in online safety. The charity warned Britain not to rush into adopting a similar ban, urging stronger regulation of technology firms instead.