Meta Platforms, TikTok, Snapchat and other leading social media platforms probably have more than 1 million underage users in Australia, a regulatory report said, highlighting the scale of policy failure at the companies before the country enforces unprecedented user age limits this year.
About 80% of children in Australia between 8 and 12 used at least one platform in 2024, research by the country’s eSafety Commissioner released Thursday showed. The findings indicate social media companies are allowing about 1.3 million children nationwide to flout their own rules barring under-13s from their platforms, the regulator said.
The watchdog’s research depicted a social media industry with few effective controls over who signs up to their services, despite the risks to children from harmful content and other users. The report suggests the platforms are largely ill-prepared for controversial legislation, due to take effect by December, that will raise the minimum age for social media users in Australia to 16 years.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.