Australia’s new nationwide ban on social media for users under sixteen has taken effect, yet teenagers across the country have already found ways to return to their favourite platforms. Within twenty four hours of the policy launch, many children were active again on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, raising doubts about the practicality of age based restrictions.
CNN reports that fourteen year old Lucy Brooks lost access to her Instagram account and her Snapchat messages on the morning the ban began. By the next day, she had created new accounts and easily cleared the age verification checks.
Teenagers use parents’ faces and AI generated images to outsmart age verification
Some teenagers have used the faces of parents or older relatives to pass facial age checks. Others have uploaded imagery generated by artificial intelligence to mimic the appearance of middle aged adults.
Age verification companies insist that their systems can detect underage users. However, it remains unclear whether accounts created with deceptive methods will be suspended or allowed to remain active.
The ban was announced during a high visibility campaign. On the day it took effect, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met families of children who had died by suicide after experiencing online bullying. Sydney Harbour Bridge displayed the slogan Let Children Be Children.
Despite the symbolism, many young users were undeterred. A group of fifteen year olds told reporters that their accounts still functioned because they had set their date of birth to the year two thousand from the beginning. One boy said that sending messages through Snapchat is more convenient than exchanging phone numbers.
Teen journalist Leo Puglisi, founder of Six News, said his younger brother, who is under sixteen, has continued using social media without needing to circumvent anything at all.
Creative teens fear losing their platforms and their work
Some teenagers rely on social media for creative projects or small businesses. Sixteen year old Lucas Lane, owner of the nail polish brand Glossy Boys, said education and time limits would be more effective than a complete ban.
Alternative platforms such as Yope and Coverstar have been mentioned as possible solutions. Even so, most teenagers say their original accounts still work, even when they entered their true birth year. Many worry that they could wake up one day to find their accounts frozen, losing their photos and messages.
Teenagers call for moderation rather than prohibition
For Lucy Brooks, social media is not only a place to chat. As a member of a cheerleading team, she uses Instagram to track routines and manage her public image. She supports efforts to limit harmful content but does not see the ban as the right approach.
She believes a daily usage limit of one or two hours would make more sense than a blanket restriction.
Australia’s bold experiment with age based social media controls highlights a dilemma many governments face. The policy aims to protect young people from cyberbullying and harmful content, yet enforcement remains challenging in a digital world where children are increasingly adept at outsmarting the systems designed to regulate them.
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Source: Vietnam Insider