What the UK can learn from Australia’s under-16s social media ban (opens original article in a new tab)

Australia's social media ban for under-16s faced challenges with children finding workarounds, and a 2026 report showed 70% retained active accounts, raising questions about effectiveness for the UK's planned restrictions.

• Australia's social media ban for under-16s required platforms to take 'reasonable steps' to prevent accounts but allowed access via web browsers without accounts.
• Children found workarounds like using gaming apps, messaging services, and VPNs to bypass restrictions, with 70% retaining active accounts according to a 2026 report.
• UK plans to implement stricter measures than Australia, including banning under-18s from romantic/sexual AI chatbots and including gaming sites in restrictions.