Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Ineffective, Study Finds Amid UK Reforms

A recent study suggests that Australia's law restricting social media access for individuals under 16 has had limited impact, with a significant majority of teens continuing to use banned platforms. This comes as the United Kingdom prepares to implement its own, more extensive, legislation.

The Australian law, known as the Social Media Minimum Age Act, was enacted in December. However, a study of over 400 Australian teenagers found that approximately 85% of those under 16 were still accessing social media platforms three months after the ban took effect. Researchers from the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, whose findings were published in the BMJ, surveyed young people aged 12 to 17 about their social media habits and experiences with age-verification processes.

According to the study, about two-thirds of participants encountered age-verification measures, with the most common being a self-declared age. Roughly a quarter reported being asked to upload a photograph for identity verification. Despite these checks, more than half of the participants accessed banned platforms using their own accounts, while others employed workarounds such as fake accounts, using someone else's account, or private browsing modes designed to limit tracking.

Researchers noted that the implementation of age-assurance measures by social media platforms appears to be suboptimal, allowing adolescents to circumvent them. They stated that the effects of the Act on adolescents' social media use seem limited, although further long-term evaluation is needed to assess any potential accrual of impacts over time.

Experts have expressed concern that the ease with which teenagers can bypass these restrictions exposes them to potentially harmful content. Professor Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert at the University of Surrey, commented that simple bans are insufficient and that simplistic fixes are failing to protect children. He emphasized the need for government policy to be evidence-based and properly thought through, suggesting that policing platforms and their algorithms, or modifying social media behavior for different age ranges, might be more effective than a blanket ban.

Dr. Amrit Kaur Purba, a social epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, echoed these sentiments, stating that Australia's experience highlights the difference between legislating a restriction and enforcing it, particularly when age assurance relies on self-declared age.

These findings come shortly after the UK announced its intention to follow Australia's lead by raising the minimum age for social media sites to 16. Dubbed an 'Australia plus' package, the UK's reforms, set to come into force next spring, aim to go further than Australia by also addressing gaming and live-streaming platforms to prevent stranger contact with children. Encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp will not be included in the UK's measures.

While the UK government's consultation indicated strong support for the ban from parents and a significant portion of young people, experts are urging policymakers to consider the Australian experience. Some caution that the study's findings should be viewed in light of its small sample size and limited follow-up time. However, other experts believe the research provides crucial early evidence of implementation challenges that should serve as a reality check for policymakers.