Social Media Ban in Australia: Despite the ban on social media platforms for children under 16 years of age in Australia, many youth are still using these apps. According to a new report, almost two months after the ban was implemented, almost one in five youth is still accessing social media platforms. This has raised questions about how effective the age-verification systems adopted by the platforms are.
Use of apps continued even after the ban
According to the report, the use of popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat among 13 to 15 year old children has decreased compared to before but has not stopped completely. Data showed that after the ban was implemented in December, the use of these apps decreased till February, yet more than 20 percent of teenagers remained active on these platforms. These figures have been revealed in the report of parental control software company Qustodio in which data collected from Australian families was analyzed.
Trying to understand the impact of the government’s decision
This step of Australia is being considered as a big experiment of its kind in the world because many countries are now considering implementing similar rules. The government and some universities are also studying the impact of this ban. However, official figures have not been made public yet.
Strict rules on social media companies
Under the new law, many big platforms will have to keep users below 16 years of age away from their platforms. This includes platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Threads, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat. If companies do not follow this rule, they may have to pay a heavy fine of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars. However, the country’s internet monitoring body eSafety Commissioner has said that the platforms will be given some time to prepare the system according to the new rules.
Effect of decline visible in figures
According to the report, between November and February, Snapchat usage among 13-15 year old children declined by 13.8 percent to 20.3 percent. At the same time, the use of TikTok also decreased by about 5.7 percent to about 21.2 percent. In the same age group, the use of YouTube also decreased slightly and was recorded at about 36.9 percent. However, it was not made clear in the report whether these users were logged in to their accounts or not.
Are kids switching to other platforms?
Experts feared that after the ban, teenagers might move to a platform where the rules were less strict. But at present there are no signs of such major changes. However, it was revealed in the report that the use of messaging app WhatsApp has increased slightly in this age group.
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Strictness on social media in UK! Accounts of these children’s platforms are going to be closed, pressure on companies increases
