Exclusive: It’s been nearly six months since Australia’s teen social media ban came into effect but more than half of nine.com.au readers say it’s just not working.
The under-16 social media delay (eSafety insists it’s not a ban) kicked off on December 10, 2025, and saw millions of teen accounts wiped from newly age-restricted platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Reddit for their own safety.
But an exclusive nine.com.au survey of nearly 1300 readers revealed that more than 60 per cent feel the ban has been ineffective in the months since.
“Kids are smarter than we give them credit for, they find ways to get around the restrictions,” one reader told nine.com.au.
Nearly 70 per cent of under-16s who had social media accounts before the ban started are still on age-restricted platforms, according to an eSafety report.
One nine.com.au reader insisted the ban “needs to be tightened and properly policed”.
About 20 per cent of nine.com.au readers said they feel the ban is working and 17 per cent were on the fence.
Many of the latter group said it’s too soon to say how successful the ban has been.
“Feedback is necessary from teens, parents, and schools, before being able to assess its efficacy,” one said.
Another suspected it will take years to see the full effects of the ban.
“It will be the younger kids who never had [social media] that may see the benefits,” they said.
Though Aussies are divided over how effective the ban has been in the last six months, many still support the world-first measure.
About 70 per cent said they backed the ban when it was introduced and fewer than 10 per cent have changed their minds in the time since.
“While I agree in principle, I knew it wouldn’t work as sadly there are easy ways for kids to get around it,” one told nine.com.au.
Some readers said more time should have been spent discussing how the ban could be enforced more effectively before it was implemented.
Others would have preferred if parents were given the choice to restrict their teens’ social media use instead of the government enforcing a blanket ban.
“It is not practical to ban everyone,” one reader said.
“I’d prefer that proper controls are put in place and there is legislation to make the platforms safer.”
