Australia's social media ban for under-16s has faced immediate challenges on its first day, with many children finding ways to circumvent the restrictions. Age verification systems have misclassified users, and teenagers have used VPNs, make-up tricks, and fake IDs to retain access to platforms like Snapchat and Instagram.
Parents have reported mixed results. Cassandra from Mollymook, NSW, said her 14-year-old son still accessed Snapchat after changing his age and passing a selfie age confirmation. She was unable to revert the change due to limits on birthday edits. Alana Scheiffers from Canberra noted her 15-year-old daughter and friends were back on Instagram after passing photo verification, though she supports the ban.
Other parents shared similar stories: an 11-year-old in Victoria was estimated to be 18 by TikTok, while a 13-year-old in Queensland passed a face scan by scrunching his face. A 14-year-old in Western Australia remained on Snapchat without age verification, and a 13-year-old in NSW still had access after facial scanning. Julius from Queensland said none of his under-16 friends had been banned.
Professor Lisa Given from RMIT University explained that facial scanning technology has an error margin of one to three years, potentially allowing 14-year-olds to be misidentified as 17. She noted that teenagers could also use VPNs, fake IDs, or alter their appearance to trick the system. Some have even used older siblings or parents to complete facial scans.
The government acknowledged the ban would not be perfect immediately but vowed to close loopholes. A spokesperson for the companies enforcing the ban said parents could report underage accounts for suspension, and emphasized better solutions at the OS or device level. Meanwhile, teenagers have flooded Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's social media with claims that the ban 'didn't work'.
