Tech Desk 
Feb 20, 2025
An undated image of social media platforms. — Pixabay
Shortly after the government drafted a ban to stop children under 16 from using social media, a report emerged on Thursday showed that Australian children are bypassing the age limit to use social media platforms.
The Australian government's announcement to enforce a ban, prohibiting those under 16 from using social media platforms, was made after the gruesome occurrence of a stabbing attack on a teenager. The minor was attacked after he indulged in a heated argument with his friend over a social media platform.
The report shared by ESafety, Australia's regulatory authority for online content, was based on the data compilation of a countrywide survey on social media usage by kids aged between eight and 15, according to Reuters.
"There is still significant work to be done by any social media platforms relying on truthful self-declaration to determine age with enforcement of the government's minimum age legislation on the horizon," said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
Setting a trend of keeping a check on children's exposure to online content, the ban is scheduled to take effect by the end of 2025. It's worth noting that it's usual for social media companies to prevent those under 13 from accessing the platforms.
The report outlined that 80% of children in Australia aged between eight to 12 used social media in 2024, with YouTube, ByteDance's TikTok, Meta's Instagram and Snap-owned Snapchat being the most used services.
With the exception of Reddit, all of the aforementioned services require the date of birth when new joiners sign up, but since there's no age verification tools, they rely on self-declaration.
