--- title: "Australia Moves to Toughen Its Under-16 Social Media Ban After Widespread Workarounds" description: "Six months after Australia became the first country to bar children under 16 from social media, the government says it will strengthen the law — after evidence that most underage users are still online, having simply found ways around it." category: "World" category_url: https://herald.la/category/world author: "Anjali Rao" published: 2026-06-27T12:38:43.000Z updated: 2026-06-27T12:38:43.000Z canonical: https://herald.la/article/australia-moves-to-toughen-its-under-16-social-media-ban-after-widespread-workar tags: ["Australia", "social media", "children", "online safety", "tech regulation"] --- # Australia Moves to Toughen Its Under-16 Social Media Ban After Widespread Workarounds Six months after Australia became the first country to bar children under 16 from social media, the government says it will strengthen the law — after evidence that most underage users are still online, having simply found ways around it. When Australia's under-16 social media ban took effect on December 10, 2025, it was hailed as a world first. Half a year on, the government says the law is not working well enough — and that it intends to make it tougher. ## A landmark law with leaks The ban requires major platforms — among them Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit and Threads — to take "reasonable steps" to keep Australians under 16 from holding accounts, with fines of up to about 49.5 million Australian dollars (roughly $34 million) for systemic failures. Neither children nor their parents face penalties. In the first weeks, platforms deactivated or restricted millions of underage accounts. But enforcement has lagged. Research summarized by [Deseret News](https://www.deseret.com/business/2026/06/26/australia-social-media-ban-failing-kids-bypassing-platforms-not-screening/), drawing on a study in the British Medical Journal, found "limited implementation, incomplete compliance and substantial circumvention," with about 85% of 12-to-15-year-olds still using social media. Many simply tap an "over 18" button, use a parent's login, or upload someone else's photo to pass an age check. ## Where the law is weakest Age verification has been the soft spot. Platforms may use AI-based facial-age estimation, but they are barred from demanding government ID such as passports or licenses — and in practice, most checks amount to users declaring their own age, [NPR reported](https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/g-s1-130375/australia-plans-to-strengthen-laws-banning-children-from-social-media). Australia's eSafety Commissioner has said the regulator lacks the powers it needs to force full compliance. ## What the government wants to add Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said this week the government would work to strengthen the law, arguing that powerful, profitable companies should not "decide the rules themselves," according to local reporting. Earlier this year, the communications minister said regulators would investigate several major platforms for potential breaches. Measures under consideration include broader enforcement powers for the eSafety Commissioner, new rules on recommendation algorithms, and a legal "duty of care" requiring platforms to head off foreseeable harm rather than react to complaints. No amending bill has yet been introduced. ## A contested experiment The ban remains popular in Australia, and child-safety advocates argue that limiting young people's exposure to algorithm-driven feeds is overdue on mental-health grounds. Critics — including digital-rights and civil-liberties groups — counter that stricter age checks risk building new surveillance systems and exposing teenagers' biometric data, that the policy curbs young people's access to information, and that decisions about children's online lives should rest with parents rather than the state. Some researchers also warn that pushing teens off mainstream platforms may steer them toward less-moderated parts of the internet. Either way, Australia's experiment is being watched closely by regulators in Britain, the United States and elsewhere weighing similar steps. With Canberra now signaling a tougher second phase, the question is how far a democratic government can go in dictating terms to the world's largest tech companies — and whether tighter rules will keep children off the platforms or simply change how they get around them. ## Sources - [Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children from social media](https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/g-s1-130375/australia-plans-to-strengthen-laws-banning-children-from-social-media) - [Is Australia's social media ban for those under 16 working?](https://www.deseret.com/business/2026/06/26/australia-social-media-ban-failing-kids-bypassing-platforms-not-screening/) - [Social media age restrictions](https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions)