Australian Study Finds Little Change in Teen Social Media Use After Ban
- A University of Newcastle, Australia study reveals that four out of five Australian young people still access social media after the under-16 ban took effect, with research suggesting "insufficient evidence of any substantive early effects" of the legislation.
- Researchers surveyed more than 400 teens immediately before and three months after restrictions took effect, finding 85 per cent of those under 16 continued using restricted platforms amid "limited implementation, incomplete compliance, and substantial circumvention."
- Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned the ban fails to address "fundamental product safety issues" such as harmful content pushed through personalized algorithms to teenagers.
- Technology Secretary Liz Kendall acknowledged the ban is not a "complete silver bullet," saying it aims to provide clarity for parents; researchers suggest future government actions must prioritize education mechanisms to encourage compliance and wellbeing.
75 Articles
75 Articles
About half a year after the world's first start of a social media ban for children, Australia is wrestling with the enforcement of the measure. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated on Friday that his government wants to put the law underlying the ban under stress test. A focus is on equipping the Internet supervisory authority with sufficient powers. The law prohibits platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to offer accounts for users under 16…
A new study shows that following the entry into force of the social media ban for under 16-year-olds, a large proportion of Australian teenagers continue to use the platforms. However, the government and the authorities are convinced of the project.
Michael West
The QueenslanderDeepfake AIs shut down as beefed-up social ban looms
Three more AI “nudifying” platforms have been taken down in Australia as the federal government flags plans to strengthen its world-first social media age restrictions. The nation’s online watchdog said the services, which use existing images to generate nude pictures of real people, had withdrawn from Australia under the threat of legal action. Such platforms would be blurred online until they introduced age verification in a bid to prevent chi…
Is Australia's Social Media Ban Working For Young Users?
A new study by the University of Newcastle has found that Australia's ban on social media use for children under 16 has had limited early impact, with most teenagers continuing to access restricted platforms despite the new rules. Researchers surveyed more than 400 young people before the legislation took effect and again three months later. 💡The findings showed that 85% of participants under the age of 16 were still using social media, suggest…
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