Australia made global policy history last December when it became the first nation in the world to implement a formal ban restricting all users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms including TikTok and Instagram. The landmark regulation was crafted to shield minors from two well-documented harms: pervasive cyberbullying and manipulative recommendation algorithms that prioritize engagement over adolescent well-being. Since its passage, policymakers and child welfare advocates across the globe have watched closely, with many weighing whether the Australian model could serve as a replicable blueprint for reining in the unchecked power of large technology companies.
Newly released internal government documents, obtained by Agence France-Presse via a freedom of information request, offer one of the first public glimpses into how the controversial policy has performed in its early months. The data, analyzed by Australia’s national online safety regulator the eSafety Commission, shows that just one month after the ban entered into force, top platforms including Instagram and TikTok maintained their dominant positions in Australian app store rankings and download charts. The commission’s internal February 2 briefing notes that while some users briefly experimented with alternative apps not covered by the ban, the vast majority quickly returned to the well-established major platforms they had used previously. Overall, the briefing concludes, there was “no meaningful shift” away from the restricted platforms in the initial weeks of the policy.
Officials did, however, note critical limitations to the early download data that prevent drawing definitive long-term conclusions. The data cannot track the age of active users, nor does it measure actual in-app usage after download, meaning it can only serve as a rough early indicator of shifting popularity trends. One unexpected early finding that has raised concerns is a 26% year-over-year increase in cyberbullying complaints related to the banned platforms between January 2025 and January 2026, with the majority of those new complaints linked specifically to TikTok.
In an official statement provided to AFP, an eSafety Commission spokesperson emphasized that the released documents only cover the very early implementation phase of the new law, as regulators and platforms work to embed the new restrictions. “Continued analysis as more data becomes available will support more robust, evidence-based conclusions regarding longer-term trends, reporting behaviours and impacts of (a minimum age for social media),” the statement read.
Interest in Australia’s policy experiment extends far beyond the country’s borders. According to the internal documents, officials from Israel, the United Kingdom, Norway and New Zealand have already held meetings with Australian policymakers to discuss the ban, joining a growing cohort of nations considering similar restrictions on minor access to social media. “The internet doesn’t stop at the border and nor should our efforts to minimise harm, especially to children,” the commission noted, acknowledging the widespread global attention its pioneering legislation has received.
Tensions between the Australian government and large tech firms have already escalated in the months since the ban took effect. Back in March, Communications Minister Anika Wells publicly accused major tech companies of intentionally failing to comply with their new legal obligations, noting that regulator assessments found a “substantial proportion of Australian children” still accessing banned platforms. “Australia’s world-leading social media laws are not failing. But big tech is failing to obey the laws,” Wells told reporters at the time, adding “Australia will not let the social media giants take us for mugs.”
Under the current legislation, non-compliant tech companies face maximum fines of up to 33.9 million USD (equivalent to 49.5 million Australian dollars). As of the latest government updates, more than five million accounts linked to underage Australian users have been removed from major platforms since the ban entered into force. TikTok declined to issue a formal comment when approached by AFP for this reporting.