By Mohammad Owais | Canberra | January 2026
Australia’s historic social media ban for children under 16 has delivered an immediate and dramatic impact — but experts warn the real challenge is not enforcement, it is education.
Within just one month of implementation, more than 4.7 million underage social media accounts have been restricted, deactivated or removed across major platforms, according to government data. The legislation, which officially came into effect on December 10, requires platforms to verify user ages and block anyone under the legal threshold.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government has described the rollout as a “major success.” International policymakers are already studying the Australian model.
Yet behind the numbers lies a more complicated reality.
Youth Are Already Finding Workarounds
While millions of accounts have been removed, young Australians are quickly adapting.
Reports from schools, parents and digital researchers show children are:
- Entering false birth years during registration
- Accessing platforms through web browsers instead of apps
- Migrating to lesser-known platforms not yet covered by the law
- Using gaming chats and streaming comments as social substitutes
The digital world, it seems, has changed shape — but not disappeared.
“Legislation Alone Cannot Change Behaviour”
Digital wellbeing educator Ashleigh Gillon, who recently discussed the issue on Sky News Australia, believes the ban is only the beginning.
“The ban is an important line in the sand,” she said, “but legislation alone is not enough to change behaviour.”
According to Gillon, young people are still navigating the same pressures — just through different channels.
“Gaming platforms, streaming services, messaging apps and loopholes still exist. And so do the habits, risks and emotional patterns that shaped their online lives before the ban.”
Why Schools Now Matter More Than Ever
Gillon’s work focuses not on blocking technology, but on preparing students for it.
She argues that digital wellbeing education must now focus on:
- How online environments shape thinking and behaviour
- Critical thinking against misinformation and influence
- Emotional self-regulation and decision-making
- Long-term digital citizenship
“This is an offline window,” she says. “We need to use it wisely.”
Rather than reactive bans, she advocates for building lifelong digital capability — so that when young people legally return to social media at 16, they return equipped, not exposed.
A Tool for Parents — Not a Silver Bullet
Many parents have welcomed the ban not as a perfect solution, but as a powerful support system.
The law now gives families something they previously lacked: authority.
Parents can now say, “It’s not just my rule — it’s the law.”
Yet experts agree that enforcement alone cannot keep pace with evolving technology. As new platforms emerge, regulation will always lag behind innovation.
What This Means for the Future
Australia’s social media ban has done something no previous policy managed:
It forced the global tech industry to respond.
But its long-term success will depend on what happens next — in classrooms, in homes, and in conversations between adults and young people.
Because digital safety is not built through restrictions alone.
It is built through understanding.
A Cultural Reset, Not Just a Legal One
As Australia enters 2026, the country stands at a turning point.
The ban has removed millions of accounts.
But the deeper mission is to reshape how a generation understands technology, influence, and self-worth.
And that work, as educators remind us, has only just begun.
