Overview
- Australia’s rule took effect in December 2025, requiring platforms to take reasonable steps to block under‑16s or face fines of up to A$49.5 million.
- The eSafety Commissioner’s latest update says many under‑16s still keep or create accounts and pass age checks, and the watchdog is moving to active enforcement.
- A poll by the Molly Rose Foundation found 61% of 12–15 year‑olds with prior accounts still have access and 70% say bypassing checks was easy, often by changing birth dates, getting older friends to open accounts, or tricking face‑age tools, with little VPN use reported.
- Platforms have removed millions of accounts since December, with nearly 5 million cited by Lord Nash, who also says activity‑based age detection will trigger more removals.
- Mental‑health experts say bans alone will not fix youth distress and call for parent controls, school support and targeted care, while others warn strict verification would link real identities to accounts and raise privacy risks.