Australia’s social media ban for under 16s having little impact, study shows

ASIA PACIFIC

Australia’s social media ban for under 16s having little impact, study shows

There is little evidence to suggest teenagers have turned away from social media under the law, a team of Australia-based researchers has found in a peer-reviewed study published by the British Medical Journal. | REUTERS

AFP-JIJI

Jun 25, 2026

Australia’s social media ban for under 16s has had little impact on teenagers’ scrolling habits, researchers said Thursday in one of the first evaluations of the world-leading measures.

Australia in December banned under 16s from the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, in a crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and “predatory algorithms.”

But there is little evidence to suggest teenagers have turned away from social media as a consequence, a team of Australia-based researchers found in a peer-reviewed study published by the British Medical Journal.