New research from the Molly Rose Foundation and YouthInsight finds that over half of Australian children aged 12–15 continue to access restricted platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram despite the country’s under-16 social media ban. The study highlights weak platform enforcement, widespread active underage accounts, and mixed impacts on safety, prompting calls for stronger regulation rather than an Australia-style ban elsewhere. #TikTok #MollyRoseFoundation
Keypoints
- A survey of 1,050 young people found 54% of 12–15-year-olds retain access to social media accounts despite the ban.
- 53% of former TikTok users, 53% of YouTube users, and 52% of Instagram users reported continued access.
- Some children created new accounts after the ban, showing it has not prevented sign-ups.
- Many platforms took little or no action to remove underage accounts, with around 60% of affected users reporting no enforcement.
- The ban’s impact on wellbeing is mixed—42% reported no change, 32% negative, and 22% positive—leading experts to urge stronger regulation over outright bans.
Read More: https://thecyberexpress.com/australia-social-media-ban-faces-question/