One-fifth of Australian teens still use TikTok, Snapchat after social media ban

SYDNEY – One-fifth of Australian teenagers under 16 were still using social media two months after the country banned platforms from allowing minors, industry data showed, raising questions about the effectiveness of age-gating methods being used.

The number of those aged 13 to 15 using TikTok and Snapchat, among the most popular social media apps with Australian teenagers, fell from before the ban took effect in December 2025 to February, but more than 20 per cent still used the apps, according to a report by parental control software maker Qustodio provided to Reuters.

The data is among the first to show the effects on youth online behaviour since Australia rolled out the ban, which is being copied by governments worldwide.

The Australian government and at least two university studies are tracking the ban’s impact, but none has published data so far.

“Among children whose parents haven’t blocked access, a meaningful number continue to use restricted platforms in the months following the ban,” Qustodio said in the report, which was based on data collected from Australian families from late 2024 to February.

Under the ban, platforms including Meta’s Instagram, Facebook and Threads, Google’s YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat must block people aged below 16 or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million (S$44.6 million).

The internet regulator, eSafety Commissioner, has said it will give platforms time to adapt and will take enforcement action only for systemic non-compliance.

The eSafety Commissioner and Communications Minister were not immediately available for comment.

A representative for Snapchat was not immediately available for comment. A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment.

The Qustodio data showed the number of Australians aged 13 to 15 using Snapchat tumbled 13.8 percentage points to 20.3 per cent from November 2025 to February, while the number in that age group using TikTok fell 5.7 percentage points to 21.2 per cent.

The number in that age group using YouTube dipped by 1 percentage point to 36.9 per cent, although the data did not specify whether users were logged into accounts.

The Australian ban allows people of all ages to use YouTube without logging in.

Australian teenage social media use typically dips in December and January because of the country’s long summer school break, but the data showed a steeper decline than the previous year, suggesting the ban had an impact, Qustodio said.

But “some dips seen in December-January are slowly beginning to recover”, the report added.

Fears that teenagers might migrate to unregulated platforms have not materialised, the data showed, although WhatsApp recorded a small uptick in use among those aged 13 to 15. REUTERS