20% of Australian Teens Still Use TikTok, Snapchat Despite Ban

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A girl stands as she opens the TikTok app on her phone in Sydney, Australia, November 22, 2025. — Reuters

– Qustodio data reveals 20% of teenagers still use prohibited apps.
– Platforms face penalties for not complying with age restrictions.
– Teen social media usage usually decreases during summer break.

One in five Australian teens under 16 continued to use social media two months after the country banned minors from accessing certain platforms, according to industry data. This discovery raises questions about how effective age verification measures truly are.

The number of 13 to 15-year-olds using TikTok and Snapchat—the most popular social media apps among Australian teens—declined from before the ban’s December implementation through February. Still, over 20% of them continued to use these apps, based on a report from parental control software provider Qustodio shared with Reuters.

This is among the first data to outline the impact of the ban on youth online activity, with similar measures being adopted by governments worldwide. The Australian government, along with at least two university studies, is closely monitoring the ban’s effectiveness, but no published results are available yet.

“Many children whose parents haven’t blocked access to these apps still continue to use restricted platforms months after the ban,” Qustodio noted in its report, which was based on data collected from Australian households from late 2024 through February.

Under the law, social media giants like Meta’s Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Google’s YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat are required to block users under 16 or face fines up to A$49.5 million ($35 million).

An eSafety Commissioner spokesperson said they were aware that some under-16s remained active on social media and were working closely with platforms and age verification providers to ensure compliance, actively monitoring for systemic failures that could breach the law.

The government’s communications minister, Anika Wells, stated that “raising the minimum age for social media access is a cultural shift that requires time to implement.” A Snapchat representative was not immediately available for comment, and TikTok declined to comment.

Data from Qustodio indicated Snapchat usage among 13-15-year-olds dropped 13.8 percentage points to 20.3% from November to February. TikTok usage fell by 5.7 percentage points to 21.2% in the same period. YouTube usage among this age group decreased by one percentage point to 36.9%, although it remains unclear whether users were logged into accounts, since the law allows all ages to access YouTube without signing in.

Teen social media activity usually dips during Australia’s long summer school break in December and January, but the recent declines appear more pronounced than last year, implying the law has had an effect—though some recovery is beginning to occur, according to the report.

Despite concerns that teens might move to less-regulated platforms, the data shows no significant migration. WhatsApp saw a slight increase in usage among 13-15-year-olds.