“Most under-16s who had social media accounts before commencement were able to either retain them or create new ones at the three-month ⁠mark, with social media platforms’ failure to implement effective age assurance measures cited as the main reason,” eSafety said in a statement. Around 58 percent of teenagers reported using social media daily, the report found. In December 2025, Australia prohibited children under 16 from using social media platforms, becoming the world’s first country to do so. On Saturday, Andrew Leigh, Australia’s assistant minister for productivity, competition, charities and treasury, defended the new law, arguing that the social media ban has already reshaped the “national debate” about the use of social media by children. Around the same time, Malaysia said it would ban social media accounts for people under 16 from this year.