Social media checks implemented in Australia after the country banned their use by under-16s have shown little evidence that they are working, according to research by the University of Newcastle. Published on British Medical Journalthe study examined participants between the ages of 12 and 17 years old before and three months after the introduction of the law. It specifically looks at participants’ use of TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
Based on the information it gathered, more than 85 percent of youth under the age of 16 continued to use those social media apps, despite two-thirds of them reporting that they met the age limit. About 54 to 68 percent of respondents under the age of 16 simply continue to use their accounts. How do you ask? However, the most common age check faced by young Australians was self-reporting, a practice criticized by authorities in the country, as well as in other countries considering implementing a similar law, due to its limited effectiveness. Among respondents, 24 to 39 percent met self-declared age requirements, and 13 to 27 percent received a test by uploading a selfie.
That being said, the study also revealed that the affected youth have found other ways to continue using social media. About 15 to 19 percent of respondents said they used fake accounts to access social media, and 9 to 29 percent reported logging into social media using someone else’s account. About 11 percent of teens say they use private browsers to get around restrictions. There were very few teenagers who reported using a VPN.
Overall, the study found that social media use remained the same among 12- to 13-year-olds after the law came into effect. It decreased among 14- to 15-year-olds, but increased among respondents over the age of 16.
Although the researchers acknowledge that it is early days and the sample size was small and relied on self-reporting, the organization associated with the study emphasizes that the results are early signs that should be monitored.
“What these figures collectively describe is a policy that has been partially implemented, where the intended approach to restricting access has not worked reliably,” said Dr. Amrit Kaur Purba, assistant professor in the Faculty of Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “The experience of Australia shows that the enactment of a ban is not the same as a single enforcement: when age verification depends on the age of self-declaration, the majority of young people continue to have access to restricted platforms. Countries are now taking similar measures – including the UK, which has committed itself to the same limits and has given its regulator the task of defining an effective age verification before restarting – it will need those methods to restart – they will need to restart. Skipping has already spread as governments throughout In Europe, North America, and elsewhere looking at similar approaches, the Australian experience suggests that implementation may be as important as law, and that lesson may prove to be as important as any topic outcome.
