Australia’s under-16 social media ban begins to show cracks as TikTok use rebounds

Eight months following Australia's introduction of groundbreaking social media limitations, the platform TikTok has regained popularity among Australian children aged 13-15, nearing pre-ban usage levels. A recent study by Qustodio, a parental-control software provider, reveals that 26% of children aged 13-15 now use TikTok, just one percentage point below the usage seen before the ban.

Meanwhile, children aged 10-12 are even more active, with usage surpassing the pre-ban figures. These statistics raise concerns for Australian and other governments contemplating similar measures, as forbidding access may temporarily reduce usage but may prove challenging to maintain long-term. Yasmin London, a global online safety expert at Qustodio, notes that while there was an immediate decline, the usage has been gradually increasing.

The policy, which requires platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook to prevent children below the age threshold from using their services, has garnered global attention as governments aim to address the potential negative impact of social media on children's mental health and wellbeing. Other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, while still below TikTok in usage, have also begun to recover after initially declining when the restrictions were introduced in December.

London suggests that children might be bypassing the controls through false age entries, using virtual private networks, or accessing platforms with ineffective age-verification systems. The research, based on anonymised data from 19,000 Australian families, highlights the challenges in enforcing these age restrictions, as children seek to stay connected like their peers.

The government has acknowledged the need for stricter compliance measures, but Qustodio's study indicates that children may be gravitating towards platforms not covered by the ban, such as WhatsApp, which was used by 36% of children aged 13-15 last month. While Australia's experience serves as a closely watched test case for the effectiveness of these measures, experts suggest that a longer period of observation is needed to determine the policy's success.