Two-thirds of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok kept access despite ban

Nearly 70% of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok had maintained access after the teen social media ban came into effect, a survey has found. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

The Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeying the landmark ban on under-16s using social media, after the country’s online safety office warned many children had accounts.

A survey of 900 Australian parents found around a third (31%) said their children still had one or more social media accounts after the ban, compared to 49% before the laws.