Molly Rose Foundation conducted the first large-scale polling of young Australians aged 12–15 on the country’s social media ban, with the aim is to inform discussions on whether to follow suit in the UK and Europe.
Findings show:
- There are significant questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s social media
ban. Three fifths (61%) of 12–15 year-olds who previously held accounts on
restricted platforms continue to have access to one or more active accounts; - More than half of 12–15 year-olds who previously used TikTok, YouTube and
Instagram remain able to use accounts on these platforms; - 70% of children still using restricted sites say that it was ‘easy’ to circumvent the
ban. In most cases, social media platforms have failed to detect or seek to remove
under 16s accounts; - Over half (51%) of children who used restricted platforms prior to the ban coming
into force say it has made no difference to their online safety. One-in-seven (14%)
now feel less safe; - In the early months of the ban, children report mixed impacts on their wellbeing,
with some indications it has reduced their overall time spent online
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(April 2026)
