Exclusive: It’s been almost half a year since the implementation of Australia’s social media restrictions for teenagers, yet more than half of nine.com.au’s audience believes the measure is falling short.
The initiative, which the eSafety Commissioner describes as a social media delay rather than a ban, began on December 10, 2025. It led to the deletion of millions of accounts belonging to users under 16 on platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Reddit, all in the name of safeguarding young users.
However, a recent exclusive survey by nine.com.au, involving nearly 1,300 participants, has shown that over 60% of respondents consider the restrictions ineffective during the months since their introduction.
“Kids are more resourceful than we think; they find ways to bypass the restrictions,” one reader expressed to nine.com.au.
According to a report from eSafety, approximately 70% of under-16s who had social media accounts before the restrictions remain active on these age-restricted platforms.
Another reader from the survey argued that the restrictions “need to be tightened and properly enforced.”
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.”
