澳大利亚eSafety Commissioner发布的最新报告显示，该国于2025年12月10日颁布的社交媒体禁令在实施三个月后效果有限。[2]超过80%的儿童仍在使用Instagram、TikTok等受年龄限制的平台。[1]研究数据表明，使用至少一个社交媒体平台的儿童比例仅从85.9%下降至81.5%，降幅仅为4.4个百分点。[1]同时，账户拥有率从52%降至42%。[1][2]
禁令执行不力的主要原因在于平台年龄验证措施的缺失。[1]调查中，超过一半的受访儿童表示平台未要求确认年龄。[1]此外，18%的儿童称平台错误地将其年龄估算为16岁以上，37%的儿童通过声称年龄为16岁或以上来维持账户访问权限。[1]与此同时，不知道孩子使用社交媒体的父母比例增加了10%。[1]eSafety委员会调查覆盖了803名10至15岁的儿童及其家长。[1]
在平台使用模式方面，日常或更频繁使用社交媒体的比例从约60%降至约58%，[2]而Reddit使用率从6%增至9%。[2]为加强执法，澳大利亚政府已宣布将加倍处罚不合规的科技公司并强化eSafety委员会的权力。[2]
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has released a report showing that more than 80% of children remain active on age-restricted social media platforms three months after the government implemented a ban on users under 16 years old.[1][2] The ban took effect on December 10, 2025,[2] yet the findings reveal limited progress in keeping young people off these services. The proportion of children using at least one social media platform declined only marginally, from 85.9% to 81.5%,[1] while account ownership fell from 52% to 42%.[1][2]
The persistence of youth engagement stems largely from inadequate age verification enforcement by technology companies. More than half of the surveyed children reported that platforms did not require them to confirm their age,[1] while 18% stated that platforms incorrectly estimated their age as 16 or older.[1] Approximately 37% of children maintained account access by claiming to be 16 or above.[1] Additionally, Reddit usage among young people increased from 6% to 9% during this period,[2] suggesting some may have migrated to alternative platforms. The eSafety Commission's investigation focused on five major platforms: Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google's YouTube.[2]
The report surveyed 803 children aged 10 to 15 and their parents,[1] with data collected before December 2025 and again between March and April 2026.[1] A concerning finding is that the proportion of parents unaware their children use social media increased by 10%.[1] In response to these shortcomings, the Australian government announced plans to double penalties for non-compliant technology companies and strengthen the eSafety Commissioner's enforcement powers.[2]
