Imagine being fifteen, living somewhere your interests are considered a bit odd, and finally finding people who share them. You make things together. You feel less peculiar. Then the account disappears, because the adults have agreed this will be good for you.
That possibility keeps getting lost in the discussion about Australia’s social media restrictions. I understand the desire to do something. I’m less convinced that keeping young people out tells us enough about how we will prepare them to be in.
An Australian export
The restrictions took effect on 10 December 2025, requiring covered platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s holding accounts. This is not a ban on the internet: services primarily for messaging, education and health are among the exclusions. Children and parents are not fined. [1]
Other governments are watching. In September, the UK government explicitly said it planned to use Australia’s model, with implementation expected in spring 2027. In the Philippines, proposals for restrictions prompted UNICEF to call for a broader approach in October. These are different stages of policymaking, not evidence that a policy has worked. [2, 3]
Still logged in
eSafety’s July evaluation reported that most under-16s who had accounts before the restrictions retained them or created new ones three months later. It pointed mainly to ineffective platform age checks. [4]
That is more precise than saying most teenagers have outsmarted the ban. Some accounts never went away. A failure to keep children out is also different from evidence about whether their lives have improved.
Among participants, account ownership fell from 52.4% to 42.1%. Some families reported less pressure to use social media. Some children felt less connected; others reported benefits. These were early findings from a study following more than 4,000 children and families, not a verdict on long-term wellbeing. [4]
Connection counts too
UNICEF warned when the restrictions began that social media can be “a lifeline” for isolated or marginalised children, offering connection and self-expression. It also warned that restrictions could push some towards less regulated spaces. These are risks to investigate, not proof that every displaced teenager has become worse off. [5]
An adolescent who feels alone at school may find belonging online. A shared creative project can be a reason to log on. Removing an account does not tell us whether that connection has been replaced. An exempt messaging app is not automatically a substitute for the community someone has found elsewhere.
The harms deserve attention. So does the possibility that the same space can offer support to one young person and distress to another. We need to hear from the young people experiencing both.
What happens at sixteen?
I’d like more of the effort to go into what young people can actually do: recognise a manipulative recommendation, question a claim before sharing it, manage who can contact them. Practise disagreeing without joining a pile-on. Know how to ask for help without expecting a confiscation.
That education needs room for making things and collaborating, not just another assembly about everything that might go wrong. UNICEF’s Philippines statement makes the case for digital literacy alongside safer design and platform accountability. [3]
Teaching judgement does not let companies off the hook. Young people should not have to become experts in defending themselves against products designed without their interests at heart.
Restrictions may buy time. What are we teaching in the meantime? Sixteen is a birthday, not a qualification.
Worth your attention
Read UNICEF’s short statement, Age restrictions alone won’t keep children safe online. It asks what protection should preserve, as well as what it should prevent. [5]
Sources and further reading
[1] eSafety Commissioner: Social media age restrictions FAQ. Scope, commencement, exclusions and responsibility.
[2] UK Government: Fact sheet, New rules to protect children online. Updated 18 September 2026.
[3] UNICEF Philippines: UNICEF urges a broader approach to child online safety beyond social media restrictions. 8 October 2026.
[4] eSafety Commissioner: Early insights from eSafety’s comprehensive evaluation project. 31 July 2026; reports March 2026 follow-up data.
[5] UNICEF: Age restrictions alone won’t keep children safe online. 10 December 2025.