{"id":17160,"date":"2026-01-27T23:28:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/is-australias-teen-social-media-ban-actually-working\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T23:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:28:00","slug":"is-australias-teen-social-media-ban-actually-working","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/is-australias-teen-social-media-ban-actually-working\/","title":{"rendered":"#\n                Is Australia\u2019s Teen Social Media Ban Actually Working?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/is-australias-teen-social-media-ban-actually-working\/#Is_Australias_Teen_Social_Media_Ban_Actually_Working\" >Is Australia\u2019s Teen Social Media Ban Actually Working?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Australias_Teen_Social_Media_Ban_Actually_Working\"><\/span>\n                Is Australia\u2019s Teen Social Media Ban Actually Working?<br \/>\n            <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The Australian government continues to claim that its <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c5y33xjmm3mo\" style=\"color:#0563c1\">teen social media ban has been a big success<\/a>, with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/jan\/15\/australia-u16-social-media-ban-millions-accounts-blocked\" style=\"color:#0563c1\">more than 4.7 million accounts<\/a> believed to be operated by teens either deactivated or restricted since the implementation of the new laws last month. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And that is a big amount, especially in a country with a population of only 28 million people. Meta alone says that it\u2019s removed 544k accounts in accordance with the new rules, while Snapchat reportedly had around <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2025\/nov\/24\/snapchat-to-tell-440k-australians-to-prove-theyre-16-or-accounts-will-be-locked-in-social-media-ban#:~:text=Snapchat%20to%20tell%20440%2C000%20Australians,image%20Previous%20image%20Toggle%20caption\" style=\"color:#0563c1\">440k users aged between 13 and 15 in its app<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>But is the teen social media ban really working, or have Australian teens just worked out how to avoid the new restrictions, and are therefore still accessing their favorite apps?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Well, I\u2019m in Australia, so I can ask them, and while the responses I can gather on my own are anecdotal, they do seem to reflect the broader mood among AUS teens.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>And that is that they don\u2019t really care. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Most of them are still using social apps, either through a VPN or a secondary handle, and while some teens have had their accounts restricted, many have just started up new profiles on desktop, avoiding mobile app identifier limits, which they can then log into on a mobile device.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Which could mean that the Australian government\u2019s topline figues are not indicative, with the real data of note likely to be in new account sign-ups, and the rise in log-ins using VPNs, which we don\u2019t have access to. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Only the platforms have that, and there\u2019s not really any incentive for them to share such. Because all of the platforms have voiced their opposition to the new rules, noting that teens are actually better off logging into their apps, where they\u2019ve worked for years to refine their teen user protections, as opposed to switching to other platforms, which offer less security. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Indeed, many Australian teens had reportedly switched to other apps to maintain connection, though those early trends, in response to the new laws, were evidently short-lived.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Looking at <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/app.sensortower.com\/overview\/app.salo?country=AU&amp;tab=category_rankings\" style=\"color:#0563c1\">Sensor Tower data<\/a>, Yope, which was one of the alternative apps discussed, did see a rise in interest throughout December, following the introduction of teen social media ban on December 10th. But it hasn\u2019t maintained that download momentum, and is now sitting at #250 on the AUS download charts (iOS).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sensor Tower Yope\" data-imagemodel=\"192578\" src=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/Oz17OPKErnFoYz6PlOi0NoLEoWj3S0pMNQLnYDCkCIA\/g:ce\/rs:fit:1600:0\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS95b3BlLnBuZw==.webp\"\/><\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Other apps that had been raised as possible alternatives were Lemon8, which has no significant rise in download activity, and more recently UpScrolled, which did see a big jump in downloads this week, but hadn\u2019t even cracked the top 400 before that. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>So it seems like teens aren\u2019t switching over, and moving on to less restricted platforms as yet. Which either means that they\u2019ve accepted their fate, and they\u2019re not accessing social media at all, or they\u2019re evading the latest teen detection measures, and still using their regular apps. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I would hazard a guess that the latter is more likely, because no matter what politicians may prefer, kids aren\u2019t going back to playing tiddlywinks and hanging out at the local milk bar for social connection. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Whether you like it or not, social media now plays a key role in teen social life, and is going to into the future, due to advances in connectivity, access, opportunity, etc. Some have suggested that Australia\u2019s teen social media restrictions will be more relevant for the next generation of teens, as they won\u2019t ever start on social media till later in life, but that also suggests that your social circle is limited to only kids your age, and that you\u2019ll be willing to be excluded from such till you reach the right threshold.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>You were a teenager once, does that ring true? Would you have just accepted that there\u2019s a whole other arena of social discussion happening among people you know that you just can\u2019t access because you\u2019re not old enough?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>There are various ways to get around the Australian social media bans, and teens already know every one, and it\u2019s arrogant for the Australian government to assume some moral victory without definitive data. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>I\u2019ll be watching the quarterly performance updates from Meta and Snap in particular to see if there\u2019s any marked shift in Australian usage, while if I was the government, I\u2019d also be seeking more insight into related trends to actually understand whether the approach is working, as opposed to that 4.7 million accounts banned number.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Because really, that doesn\u2019t mean anything, and while public-facing officials may want to present this as a victory, in order to win votes, there\u2019s much more to the story that we can\u2019t see as yet. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Social Media<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.socialmediatoday.com\/news\/is-australias-teen-social-media-ban-actually-working\/810674\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is Australia\u2019s Teen Social Media Ban Actually Working? The Australian government continues to claim that its teen social media ban has been a big success, with more than 4.7 million accounts believed to be operated by teens either deactivated or restricted since the implementation of the new laws last month. And that is a big&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/imgproxy.divecdn.com\/6JfDJ73mfV2owdq8yhMnrfITu3xWGej0UbMKnsdjTnI\/g:ce\/rs:fit:770:435\/Z3M6Ly9kaXZlc2l0ZS1zdG9yYWdlL2RpdmVpbWFnZS9hdXN0cmFsaWFuX2ZsYWcucG5n.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1456],"class_list":["post-17160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media","tag-social-media-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yohrt.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}