In Australia, despite the introduction of a similar system, over 60% of minors still have access to social media.

Omissions

• The claim refers to 'minors' (under 18), but the Molly Rose Foundation study only covers children aged 12 to 15, not all minors.
• The 61% figure applies specifically to children who already had accounts on restricted platforms before the ban, not to the entire population of minors. When including all 12-to-15-year-olds (those who never had accounts), the proportion with access drops to 54%.
• The data comes from a single survey conducted by the Molly Rose Foundation, an advocacy charity, rather than from official government statistics. No official Australian government data on circumvention rates is yet available.
• The study was published in April 2026 and reflects early 2026 data — only a few months after the ban took effect on 10 December 2025. Longer-term compliance data is not yet available.

Sources

• PrimaryeSafety Commissioner (Australian Government)Major social media companies removed access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children under 16 in the first half of December 2025, following the introduction of the ban.
• SecondaryMolly Rose FoundationThree in five (61%) Australian 12-15 year-olds who had accounts on restricted platforms before the ban came into force still have access to one or more accounts. This equates to over half (54%) of all 12-15 year-olds.
• SecondaryITV NewsResearch by the Molly Rose Foundation revealed that 61% of 12-15 year-olds in Australia still have access to social media accounts that should be restricted under the ban.