Two months after the social media ban in Australia, industry data shows that one-fifth of the teenagers under 16 were still active on the platforms, raising questions about the effectiveness of the age-restriction law.
A report by parental control software maker Qustodio showed that the number of 13-to-15-year-olds using TikTok and Snapchat dropped by February compared to December, when the ban had not taken effect, yet still more than 20% use the apps currently.
The data from the report is among the first to show the effects on youth online behaviour since Australia rolled out the social media ban, which is being copied by governments around the world. The Australian government and at least two university studies have been tracking the ban's impact; however, none have published data yet.
Under the ban, platforms including META's Instagram, Facebook and Threads, Google's YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are required to block people under 16 or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million ($35 million).
The Qustodio data showed the number of Australians aged 13-15 who still used Snapchat dropped 13.8 percentage points to 20.3% from November to February, while on TikTok, the number in that age group fell 5.7 percentage points to 21.2%.
People under-16 on YouTube dipped by only one percentage point to 36.9%, although the data did not specify whether the users were logged into accounts. The Australian ban allows users of all ages to access YouTube without logging in.
Australian teenage social media usage usually sees a drop in December and January due to the country's long summer school break, but the data showed a sharper decline compared to the previous years, suggesting that the ban had an impact, according to Qustodio.
But 'some dips seen in December-January are slowly beginning to recover', the report added.
A spokesperson for the internet regulator eSafety Commissioner said the office was aware of reports that some under-16s remained on social media and were 'actively engaging with platforms and their age assurance providers … while continuing to monitor for any systemic failures that may amount to a breach of the law'.
Concerns that teenagers may migrate to unregulated social media platforms have not surfaced yet, the data showed, but WhatsApp has recorded a small uptick in use among the age group.
(With inputs from Reuters)