An Australian online safety report has found that children can easily bypass social media age restrictions, just as the government prepares to enforce a ban on users under 16 by the end of 2025, Reuters reports.
The report, based on a national survey of children aged eight to 15 and responses from major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch, found that 80% of Australian children aged eight to 12 used social media in 2024, with TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube being the most popular.
Most social media platforms prohibit users under 13 but rely solely on self-declared birth dates for verification. While TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat, and YouTube use tools to detect underage users, others do not, despite having access to similar technologies. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized the need for stronger enforcement, stating that significant work remains to ensure compliance with the new regulations.
YouTube is set to be exempt from the upcoming ban as it allows children under 13 to use the platform with parental supervision via family-linked accounts. However, none of the surveyed eight to 12-year-olds reported account shutdowns due to being underage. The report also found that 95% of teens under 16 used at least one of the surveyed platforms. TikTok revealed that its proactive detection tools removed over one million suspected under-13 users in Australia since early 2023. Meanwhile, a Meta spokesperson suggested that enforcing age restrictions should be the responsibility of app stores.
While some platforms are improving age assurance measures and offering reporting mechanisms for underage accounts, enforcement remains inconsistent. With Australia’s strict new regulations on the horizon, concerns persist over the effectiveness of current age verification methods.
