As the UK prepares to introduce an “Australia plus” ban on social media for under 16s, many lessons can be learned from Australia’s experiment. Many people may think Australia’s ban is a success, with nearly 5 million social media accounts deactivated, removed or restricted. But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
The Australian legislation only requires social media platforms – such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook – to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under 16s from holding social media accounts. This means children can continue to view social media content – on YouTube, for example – on a web browser, without having an account.
