When Australia introduced a landmark ban on social media access for children under 16 late last year, it was widely seen as a bold step aimed at protecting young people from the mental health risks associated with online platforms.
However, according to abc.net.au, four months after its implementation, frustration is growing among parents who say the measure has yet to deliver meaningful results. Many report that their children continue to use popular platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok with little restriction, raising concerns about how effectively the rules are being enforced. This comes as the eSafety Commission signals a shift from simply monitoring compliance to actively enforcing the law.
Among those speaking to ABC News is parent Alexis Theodorou, who says the changes have had little impact.
“He hasn’t been removed from any of the social media platforms that he uses,” she said.
“It seems to me a bit optimistic to think that all the social media companies would just go, ‘OK, we’ll just get rid of all the under-16s off social media’.” Ms Theodorou added that she would have preferred earlier action.
Source: abc.net.au
