Australian mums say tech-savvy kids will find workarounds loopholes in under-16s social media ban

Mums of teenagers are sceptical the under 16s social media ban will work because children will simply migrate to other websites or find a way to beat it.

Chantelle Ansell, a mother of two from the New South Wales Mid North Coast, said the Federal Government had underestimated the ability of kids to get around the ban, designed to tackle cyberbullying.

“As a single mum of two teenagers, I don’t think a ban will necessarily stop kids from using social media — they’re smarter than we often give them credit for, and they’ll just move to other platforms or find a way around it,” she told The Nightly.

“I’ve already spoken to a few friends about this and we all feel the same: kids adapt quickly.

“So, while I understand the intention behind the ban, I’m not convinced it will stop kids accessing social media — it may just change how they do it, or push it further out of sight.”

AI tools, designed to biometrically assess the age of social media users, are being questioned, with Ms Ansell saying her son Curtis, 14, and daughter Kiera, 12, looked 17.

“They also look a lot older than they are these days, which makes it even easier for them to pass as older online,” she said.

Another mum from regional NSW, architect Larissa Hill, said banning children from social media could also delay their ability to handle online interactions.

“It removes a space where they can explore their interests, connect with peers and develop independence,” she told The Nightly.

“They’re an incredibly tech-savvy generation and I’m sure some will see the ban as a challenge rather than a boundary to respect.”

She said her daughter Tallowa, now 16, was allowed to have an Instagram and Facebook at 14 because she was considered mature enough.

“I felt she was ready for social media because she had already demonstrated the ability to handle responsibility and think through her choices and navigate social situations thoughtfully,” she said.

“She was working three shifts a week at a restaurant, managing her own bank account and balancing school and work commitments.”

From Wednesday, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, Kick and Twitch will have to prove account holders were born before a certain date in 2009.

Many parents are lukewarm about the new laws with just 29 per cent of respondents in a Resolve Political Monitor survey for Nine newspapers saying they would fully enforce the ban by deleting social media apps.

The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has told the platforms Lemon8 — run by Chinese company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok — and Yope they needed to self-regulate when it came to those under 16.

This suggests the Federal Government’s initial list of 10 social media sites would have to grow, says Professor Daniel Angus, the director of Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre.

“If the list of designated platforms needs updating before the ink is dry, it suggests the approach was never fit for purpose,” he said.

“Instead of building durable, structural protections for young people, the policy simply shifts the boundary lines, pushing youth onto smaller, less regulated platforms and leaving the underlying issues untouched.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese admitted in a weekend opinion piece the under-16s social media ban had flaws.

“From the beginning, we’ve acknowledged this process won’t be 100 per cent perfect,” he said.

While Facebook is banned from December 10 for those under 16, children will still be allowed to access the affiliated Messenger app, which is also owned by Meta and another messaging site, WhatsApp.

Kids will also be able to access Discord, a social chat platform for gamers, along with code-sharing site GitHub, Google Classroom, YouTube Kids, LEGO Play, image and video sharing site Pinterest, game-creation site Roblox, and gaming site Steam.