Australia tried to keep kids off social media. Its ban has had the opposite effect.

When the Australian government announced sweeping restrictions on youth social media access, the goal was to keep kids safe by preventing them from encountering harmful content on their feeds. About nine months after that law went into effect, however, it is not looking terribly effective. According to data provided by Qustodio, Australian kids and teens are still accessing their favorite social media apps, even after officials in Canberra kicked those under-18s off their accounts. Among some age groups, social media usage has actually gone up, suggesting that Australia's law may be accomplishing the opposite of what it was meant to do. Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.

Last updated Aug 25, 2026 by ATDb automated enrichment