Australia implemented legislation in December 2025 banning children under 16 from accessing major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Initial data showed a sharp drop in social media usage among this age group after the ban took effect [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

However, data from parental control software company Qustodio shows that by July and August 2026, social media use among Australian children under 16 has rebounded to near pre-ban levels [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Specifically, 26% of children aged 13-15 were using TikTok, just one percentage point lower than before the ban [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Among 10-12 year olds, TikTok usage was either slightly higher or close to the pre-ban rate, with only a minimal difference of 0.06 percentage points reported [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Instagram and Snapchat use among under-16s initially declined but have also risen again, though they remain less popular than TikTok in this group [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Yasmin London, a global online safety expert at Qustodio, said, "What we’ve seen is an immediate drop to a degree, but slowly but surely, the numbers have started to increase again to almost equivalent levels" [1]. She noted children may be circumventing the restrictions through VPNs or falsifying ages, or the bans are simply not effective: "They could be accessing these platforms with VPNs, or obfuscating their ages, but it could really be as simple as they're just accessing these apps because the restrictions aren’t working" [3]. London added, "In the end, kids want access because they want to be connected just like the rest of us" [1].

An Australian peer-reviewed study published in June 2026 found little evidence that the ban caused teenagers to reduce their social media use [3, 4]. Meanwhile, children are increasingly turning to messaging apps like WhatsApp, which are not covered by the ban [3, 4].

Australia’s government intended the law to protect children from online bullying and predatory algorithms [3, 4]. Minda Smiley, senior analyst at Emarketer, said many countries are watching Australia’s experience closely: "Even as other countries follow suit, I think a lot of people are paying particular attention to Australia and hoping it can provide some sort of blueprint" [1].

In August 2026, New Zealand announced plans to adopt similar age-based social media restrictions, including potential fines up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliant companies like Meta [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].