New research from the University of Newcastle, published in the British Medical Journal, indicates that Australia’s world-first Social Media Minimum Age Act 2024 has had a negligible impact on adolescent platform usage in its first three months. The study, which tracked 408 adolescents aged 12 to 17, revealed that more than 85 percent of users under the age of 16 continued to access restricted platforms—such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—following the policy’s implementation. These findings offer a critical, early-stage assessment of how the legislation is functioning in a real-world environment.
The research highlights a significant gap between legislative intent and digital reality, largely driven by the inconsistency of age verification measures. While approximately two-thirds of participants reported encountering some form of age restriction, the methods utilized were often easily bypassed. Common verification processes, such as simple self-declaration and photo-based checks, proved insufficient to deter younger users. Consequently, the majority of adolescents under 16 persisted in using the platforms, largely through their original accounts, demonstrating that current technological barriers are failing to achieve the law’s primary objective of exclusion.
Beyond the failure of standard verification, the study uncovered widespread circumvention strategies employed by young users. Adolescents reported using a variety of workarounds to bypass the legislation, including the creation of fake accounts, leveraging existing profiles belonging to friends or family members, and utilizing private browser modes. These findings suggest that the digital environment remains highly accessible to underage users despite the government’s efforts, with nearly one in five teens turning to burner accounts to maintain their online presence during the trial period.
Interestingly, the study noted nuanced shifts in usage patterns across various age groups. While daily usage remained stable for 12- to 13-year-olds and those over 16, there was a observable decline in usage among the 14- to 15-year-old cohort, falling from 78 percent to 69 percent. However, this localized decline did not translate into a broader, substantive shift in overall time spent on social media. Researchers emphasized that because the core mechanisms of access remain largely intact for the vast majority of the demographic, the fundamental daily habits of the adolescent population have shown little sign of meaningful change.
Lead investigator Dr. Courtney Barnes noted that, because other nations are closely observing Australia’s policy as a potential blueprint, this data provides an essential snapshot of the challenges inherent in digital regulation. The researchers suggest that the effectiveness of the Social Media Minimum Age Act is currently hampered by an inconsistency in how different platforms operationalize age assurance. Without more robust and universal verification standards, the underlying behavioral patterns of youth social media consumption are unlikely to see the significant disruption that policymakers originally envisioned.
Looking ahead, the research team emphasizes that the true impacts of the legislation may take years to fully manifest and calls for more rigorous, long-term evaluation. Co-investigator Professor Luke Wolfenden noted that while these initial results are sobering, they should be interpreted within the context of early implementation, as platform compliance mechanisms are expected to evolve. Ultimately, the study underscores that social media usage is deeply entrenched in the lives of modern adolescents and that effective harm prevention will require more than just superficial digital gates; it requires addressing the complex behavioral and environmental factors that drive continued online access.
