Latest research finds more than 60% of Australian children are still using social media

The Molly Rose Foundation commissioned YouthInsight, Australia, to carry out the first large-scale research with children aged 12-15 in Australia to explore their response to the  social media ban, introduced in Australia at the end of last year. The research with 1,050 young people found that three in five (61%) who had accounts on restricted platforms before the ban still have access to at least one account. More than half of those who previously used TikTok, YouTube and Instagram report they are still able to access the platforms. And among those continuing to use restricted sites, 70% say it was “easy” to circumvent the ban, and in most cases platforms had failed to detect or remove under-16 accounts. Over half (51%) of respondents say the ban has made no difference to their online safety, while one in seven (14%) say they now feel less safe. The Molly Rose Foundation warns that these findings raise serious questions about the effectiveness of Australia’s approach. It argues that introducing such a ban in the UK would be a “high-stakes gamble”, since the evidence suggests the policy may not be delivering immediate improvements to children’s online safety. Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, said: “The quickest and most decisive way to protect children is stronger regulation that finally calls time on egregious product safety failures, alongside a commitment to a new Online Safety Act in the upcoming King’s Speech.” Read more about the research here.