eSafety finds early decline in under-16 social media account ownership after age restrictions

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has released an initial evaluation of the country’s social media age restrictions, showing a modest reduction in the number of children under 16 holding accounts on age-restricted platforms three months after the rules entered into effect.

Under the new requirements, which began applying on 10 December 2025, certain social media services must take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. The rules place obligations on platforms rather than children or parents, who are not subject to penalties for non-compliance.

The evaluation is part of a two-year longitudinal study tracking the experiences of children and families following the introduction of the restrictions. The initial research involved a nationally representative cohort of 4,121 children and their parents. The three-month follow-up surveyed 1,021 families, with the main analysis focusing on 803 children aged between 10 and 15.

Social media account ownership declines after restrictions

The research found that the share of children with at least one account on an age-restricted social media platform decreased from 52.4% before the restrictions were introduced to 42.1% three months later.

Overall social media use also declined, although to a smaller extent. The proportion of children using social media, including those accessing platforms without holding an account, fell from 85.9% to 81.5%.

However, the findings indicate that restrictions did not prevent all under-16 users from continuing to access social media. Among children who still had accounts after implementation, 50.2% said they had not been asked by platforms to confirm their age. A further 18.2% reported that a platform had incorrectly estimated their age.

Some children reported bypassing restrictions by entering an age indicating they were 16 or older. More complex methods, including the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) or assistance from parents, appeared to be less common.

Changing perceptions among children and parents

The introduction of age restrictions also affected how children and families viewed social media participation. The proportion of children who believed that peers without social media accounts were missing out decreased from 43.3% to 36.3%.

Parents also reported reduced pressure to allow their children to use social media because of what other families permitted. This suggests that the policy may have influenced broader social expectations around children’s online participation.

At the same time, the evaluation identified possible unintended effects. The proportion of parents who were unaware that their child had used social media during the previous four weeks increased from 23.3% to 33.3%.

Children also reported increased use of other digital services, including messaging platforms and online games, indicating that some online activity may have shifted away from restricted platforms rather than disappearing entirely.

Limited early impact on well-being

The majority of children reported little change in their well-being or offline activities following the introduction of the restrictions. Around 65.4% said the measures had not affected them.

eSafety noted that the findings represent only an early assessment and cannot yet determine whether the restrictions are achieving their broader objectives, including improving children’s online safety and well-being.

The evaluation is separate from ongoing compliance investigations into whether individual social media providers have taken the legally required “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16 account ownership. eSafety is continuing to assess platform practices and is expected to provide further compliance updates.