Australia’s social media ban faces first test as one-fifth of teens still use TikTok, Snapchat

Australia’s social media ban for under-16s has met its first test as teens found to be continuously using banned apps, specifically TikTok and Snapchat.

According to a report published by a parental control software maker, the usage of TikTok and Snapchat among 13-to-15-year-olds dropped slightly by February.

However, more than 1 in 5 kids in that age group are still using those apps despite the ban enforced in Australia in late December.

The report, based on data collected from Australian families from late 2024 to February, has also raised questions about the efficacy of the ban and the age-verification methods of social media apps.

"Among children whose parents haven't blocked access, a meaningful number continue to use restricted platforms in ​the months following the ban," Qustodio said in the report.

The Qustodio data ​showed the number of Australians ⁠teens using TikTok dropped by 5.7 percent, leaving it at roughly 21.2 percent a data collected from November to February.

YouTube usage only dipped by 1 percent, remaining the most popular app at nearly 36.9 percent.

The report is among the first to show the effects of a ban on youth online behaviour. Since the imposition of the ban in Australia, other countries, including the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and Indonesia have rushed to follow suit.

The social media ban obliges the tech companies, such as Meta, Google, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok to restrict the access of platforms to under-16s kids.

A spokesperson for internet regulator, eSafety Commissioner, said, the government is “actively engaging with platforms and their age assurance providers ... while continuing to monitor for any systemic failures ‌that may ⁠amount to a breach of the law.”

The regulator was "actively drawing on a range of insights to assess compliance," the spokesperson added.