7am The social media ban isn’t working. Now what?
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Apr 6, 2026 Cam Wilson, associate editor at Crikey and political commentator, breaks down why Australia’s under-16 social media ban is floundering. He discusses widespread circumvention, misleading account-deactivation claims, enforcement headaches, the plan for long-term evaluation, and whether changing platform design is a better fix than locking kids out.
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Ban Shows Widespread Circumvention And No Harm Reduction
- The early eSafety report shows widespread circumvention of Australia's under-16 social media ban.
- About 70% of surveyed teens reported still having social accounts and eSafety saw no drop in cyberbullying or image-based abuse reports.
4.7 Million Deactivations Hid Duplicate And Inactive Accounts
- The government initially announced 4.7 million deactivated accounts in week one, a figure touted as early success.
- Cam Wilson reports tech sources said many deactivations were duplicates or inactive accounts and teens often created new anonymous profiles to return.
Government Shifts From Celebration To Investigation
- The government has shifted from celebrating the ban to acknowledging widespread circumvention and investigating major platforms.
- Communications minister Annika Wells said platforms must obey Australian laws and the government is pressing tech companies to enforce compliance.