Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban – Impact & What’s Happening
January 8, 2026 – One month after Australia banned children under 16 from major social media platforms, the government has yet to release promised compliance data, leaving the actual impact largely unmeasured.
The Big Picture
- Ban effective: December 10, 2025
- Platforms affected: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Twitch, Kick
- Estimated accounts to be removed: ~1.14 million
- Actual closures reported: None (data unpublished)
- Government report promised: “Before Christmas,” not delivered
What We Know: Platform Migration Data
Alternative Apps Surged
Yope (photo-sharing app)
- Gained 100,000 Australian users via word-of-mouth
- App Store ranking: #316 (Nov) → #1 (Dec)
- Source: Sensor Tower, CNN
Lemon8 (ByteDance)
- Ranking: #20s-40s (Nov) → #1 most downloaded (Dec 10)
- eSafety sent a compliance notice
- Source: Sensor Tower, Bloomberg
Coverstar
- Hit #3 on App Store (Dec)
- Markets as “safer TikTok for ages 9-16”
- Source: Bloomberg
Pre-Ban Account Estimates
Prime Minister Albanese disclosed these figures on December 10
| Platform | Estimated Under-16 Accounts |
|---|---|
| Snapchat | 440,000 |
| 350,000 | |
| TikTok | 200,000 |
| 150,000 | |
| Total | 1,140,000 |
Source: TIME Magazine, quoting PM’s ABC interview
What We Don't Know
Critical Missing Data
- Actual accounts closed by the platform
- Verification system accuracy rates
- November vs December usage comparison
- uantified circumvention rates
- eSafety Commissioner compliance report
December 2025 Market Share
Australia’s social media landscape (StatCounter, 5B+ monthly pageviews):
| Platform | Market Share |
|---|---|
| 64.98% | |
| 16.58% | |
| 9.38% | |
| 5.34% | |
| Youtube | 1.96% |
| 0.86% |
Note: Month-over-month comparison unavailable
How Platforms Complied
Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads)
- Started removing accounts Dec 4 (6 days early)
- Age verification: Video selfie + ID via partner Yoti
TikTok
- Deactivated all under-16 accounts Dec 10
- Using age estimation technology
Snapchat
- Suspending accounts for 3 years or until age 16
- Verification: Bank-linked ID + facial age estimation
YouTube
- Auto sign-out Dec 10
- Videos are still viewable without a login
Circumvention: Documented But Not Quantified
Methods reported within 24 hours:
- Parent’s Face ID
- AI-aged photos (drawing facial hair on selfies)
- Sibling accounts
- Fake birthdates
- VPN services
VPN Interest: Google Trends showed “slight uptick” in searches before ban — no percentage disclosed
Sources: CNN, NBC News, CNBC
Legal Challenges
| Case | Filed | Argument | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Freedom Project | Nov 26 | Violates constitutional political communication rights | Ongoing |
| Dec 13 | Privacy and free expression concerns | Ongoing, complying during litigation |
Penalty for non-compliance: Up to AU$49.5M (~$32M USD)
Exempt Platforms
NOT banned: Discord, Roblox, WhatsApp, Messenger, Pinterest, GitHub, Google Classroom, Steam, YouTube Kids
eSafety says the list “will continue to be updated”
Baseline Stats (Pre-Ban)
Most recent comprehensive data from January 2025 (DataReportal):
- Social media users: 20.9 million (77.9% of population)
- Average daily use: 1 hour 51 minutes
- Internet penetration: 97.1%
Next comprehensive report expected: February 2026
Why This Matters Globally
Countries watching
- Malaysia: Under-16 ban planned for 2026
- New Zealand: Advancing age restriction proposals
- European Union: Monitoring implementation
Research partnership: Stanford University Social Media Lab studying impacts on youth sleep, mental health, and physical activity with an 11-member international oversight group.
Required review: Government must evaluate the ban by December 10, 2027
Government Justification
2025 eSafety research on Australian children ages 10-15:
- 96% use social media
- 70% exposed to harmful content
- 50% experienced cyberbullying
- 14% reported grooming behaviour
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant promised on December 11 to provide public information "before Christmas" on implementation and preliminary effectiveness. As of January 8, no report has been published. The Commissioner's office has not responded to requests for comment.
Monthly reporting: Platforms must submit compliance data to eSafety monthly, but reports aren’t automatically public.
Data compiled: January 8, 2026
Sources: eSafety Commissioner, StatCounter, Sensor Tower, DataReportal, CNN, TIME, Bloomberg, NBC News, CNBC, ABC Australia
