Australia’s ban on social media access for users under 16 has reduced teenage engagement on major platforms, but a meaningful share of minors still use restricted apps two months after the law took effect, according to data from parental-control software maker Qustodio, shared with Reuters.

The number of Australians aged 13 to 15 using Snapchat fell 13.8 percentage points to 20.3% between November and February, while TikTok usage in the same age group dropped 5.7 percentage points to 21.2%, Qustodio found. YouTube usage among the cohort dipped by 1 percentage point to 36.9%, though the data did not specify whether those users were logged in. The Australian ban permits users of all ages to access YouTube without logging in.

“Among children whose parents haven’t blocked access, a meaningful number continue to use restricted platforms in the months following the ban,” Qustodio stated.

Australian teenage social media use typically declines during December and January due to the country’s summer school break, but Qustodio noted the drop was steeper than in the prior year, suggesting the ban had an effect. The firm also flagged that “some dips seen in December-January are slowly beginning to recover.”

Platforms Restricted Millions of Accounts

Separately, the eSafety Commission reported that major platforms restricted access to approximately 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to under-16 users in the first half of December, following the law’s effective date of December 10, 2025. 

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant called the preliminary figures encouraging. “It is clear that eSafety’s regulatory guidance and engagement with platforms is already delivering significant outcomes,” she said, while cautioning that full compliance had not yet been established.

An eSafety spokesperson said the regulator is “actively engaging with platforms and their age assurance providers” and monitoring for systemic breaches.

Australia’s approach is drawing attention internationally. Denmark has proposed a ban on social media for children under 15; Malaysia has announced plans to restrict access for users under 16 beginning in 2026; and U.S. states continue pursuing age-verification legislation, though legal challenges remain.