Almost two months into Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s, many teenagers report little change in their online habits. Adyan, 14, said the ban was less strict than expected, and he easily bypassed age verification by using a face scan on Snapchat and a friend's driver's license for Instagram.
Most teens interviewed by the ABC had not been banned, and those who were found simple workarounds. Evie, 15, set her birth year to 2007 before the ban, avoiding any warnings. Alby, 14, noted a new market where younger users pay older friends or parents to complete ID scans.
Anabell, 15, was among the few who got banned, but she quickly regained access using others' faces and licenses. She estimated only about 10% of her peers were initially banned, and half of those were soon unbanned. Now, she says, none of her friends remain banned.
Data from the eSafety commissioner shows over 2.3 million Australians aged 8-15 used social media before the ban. The government claims the ban is working, with 4.7 million under-16 accounts removed. Meta removed 173,000 from Facebook and 330,000 from Instagram, while Snapchat disabled over 415,000 accounts—roughly 44% of under-16 Instagram users and 48% of Snapchat users.
However, it's unclear if these numbers account for reactivated or new accounts. Snapchat acknowledged technical limitations in age verification, stating its technology is only accurate within two to three years. The company disagreed with the ban, arguing it doesn't make teens safer or happier.
Ilia, 14, who lost access and hasn't tried to return, said social media was once important but he is adjusting. The ban's effectiveness remains contested as teens continue to find ways around it.
