- An assessment from the eSafety Commissioner found that social media account ownership by children under 16 fell by over 10 percent in the first three months of Australia’s age restrictions, though the shift to enforcing effective age assurance is in its early days.
- The assessment revealed that half of children reported they were not asked to prove their age, indicating a significant gap in compliance with the new regulations.
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has opened civil penalty actions under the Unlawful Material Codes and Standards due to ineffective age assurance measures by platforms.
- The assessment was compiled with the Stanford Social Media Lab and an independent academic advisory group, focusing on whether conditions for change are emerging.
- Many accounts stayed active because age checks were not effective: more than a third (37.1 percent) say their age is incorrectly listed as 16 or over.
- Usage declined less sharply: 81.5 percent of children still reported use of an age-restricted platform, down only 4.4 percent.
- Inman Grant states that the primary reason for the modest reduction in social media use by Australian children is ineffective implementation of age assurance measures by platforms.
- There is no single popular workaround for age checks: 12 percent attempted to spoof an age check, while 10.9 percent had parents help.
A recent assessment by the eSafety Commissioner indicates a significant decline in social media account ownership among Australian children under 16, dropping from 52.4 percent to 42.1 percent within three months of new age restrictions.1
However, 81.5 percent of children still reported using age-restricted platforms, a mere 4.4 percent decrease since the rules were implemented.6
The report, developed in collaboration with the Stanford Social Media Lab, emphasizes that the modest reduction in account ownership is primarily due to ineffective implementation of age assurance measures by social media platforms. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant noted that “the primary reason” for this decline appears to be the platforms' failure to enforce age verification effectively.347
The assessment also revealed that more than half of children maintained active accounts without being asked to verify their age, with 37.1 percent reporting their age was incorrectly listed as 16 or older.5
Despite the new regulations, parents were 10 percent more likely to believe their children had stopped using these platforms, highlighting a disconnect between parental perceptions and actual usage.
The report underscores the need for robust enforcement mechanisms, as some platforms are preparing to resist compliance with Australian laws.
“At this early stage we’re not asking whether the policy has achieved its long term goal,” the report states, emphasizing the importance of establishing conditions for effective change.
“Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says the primary reason 'appears to be ineffective implementation of age assurance measures by platforms,' and her office has opened civil penalty action under the Unlawful Material Codes and Standards. Usage fell far less sharply—81.5% of children still report using an age-restricted platform, down 4.4%.”
Biometric Update
