Australia sees small drop in youth social media account ownership after minimum age law

Social media account ownership among children under 16 in Australia saw a small drop following the implementation of national minimum age restrictions, the Australian government's eSafety Commissioner announced Friday.

Data released in a three-month evaluation report by the commissioner showed that the proportion of under-16s holding social media accounts fell from 52.4% to 42.1% after the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law took effect on Dec. 10, 2025.

According to the report, overall social media use among under-16s, whether or not they had an account, also declined slightly from 85.9% to 81.5% during the initial three-month period.

The evaluation also noted positive shifts in family dynamics, including fewer children reporting a fear of missing out.

However, the agency said a majority of underage users who had accounts before the law took effect were still able to retain them or open new ones at the three-month mark, attributing the issue to platforms failing to implement effective age assurance measures.

The eSafety Commissioner stated that complex investigations into platform compliance remain ongoing.