Australia’s landmark ban on social media accounts for children under 16 is facing fresh scrutiny after a new study found that major online platforms are failing to carry out basic age verification checks, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s new digital safety rules.
The findings come months after legislation requiring platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and other social media services to prevent users under the age of 16 from opening accounts came into force in December. The law requires companies to take “reasonable steps” to verify users’ ages, with the government recommending multiple methods of age assurance.
Researchers from software testing company KJR, which previously helped evaluate age-verification technology during the government’s rollout, said they created 50 test accounts after the law took effect. Each account declared the user to be exactly 16 years old, yet none was asked to provide proof of age or complete any additional verification process.
Andrew Hammond, director of KJR, said the results suggest the first stage of the age-checking system is failing to identify accounts that should receive further scrutiny.
According to Hammond, all 50 accounts remain active across nine of the 10 platforms covered by the legislation, including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. Some of the accounts were even shown advertisements aimed at teenagers, suggesting platforms had identified them as belonging to younger users despite requesting no evidence of age.
The researchers also reported that one test account on X, formerly Twitter, received adult content after registering with an age of 16.
The study found that while platforms generally blocked users who openly declared they were under 16, only Australian live-streaming platform Kick required documentary proof before allowing an account to be created.
The findings highlight concerns that children can bypass restrictions simply by entering a false birth date during registration.
Australia’s social media ban has attracted international attention as one of the world’s strictest attempts to protect children online. The government has already strengthened enforcement measures after reports suggested many underage users continued accessing social media despite the new rules. Last month, authorities doubled the maximum financial penalties for companies that fail to comply and warned legal action could follow.
Meta said the test results appeared inconsistent with guidance from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, which recommends escalating to formal age verification only when behavioural indicators suggest a user may be underage or when an account is reported. The company also questioned whether the test accounts behaved like genuine teenage users.
The eSafety Commissioner maintained confidence that technology exists to enforce the law, saying the recommended layered approach avoids relying on a single verification method.
Some advisers involved in the government’s earlier testing programme said they had previously warned that the system did not adequately assess real-world attempts by young users to bypass age restrictions by providing false dates of birth.
Experts involved in the rollout believe platforms are expected to strengthen age detection systems over time, with further evaluations planned as implementation of the law continues.
