During the first half of December major social media platforms cut access to around 4.7 million accounts belonging to under-16s in Australia.
The move follows the launch of the country’s ban on social media for children under the age of 16 last month.
Following the launch, the country’s eSafety Commissioner said that it is now focused on monitoring and enforcement, with the data released on Friday providing an early indication that social media sites are taking “meaningful action”.
The figures come after British prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this week that he had not ruled out similar plans in the UK, with the House of Lords set to vote on proposals for a ban next week.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner said that there had been reports that some under-16s accounts remain active, cautioning that it is too early to determine whether “progress so far constituted full compliance by platforms”.
Inman Grant added that the full impact of the social media minimum age won’t be measured in “weeks or months” but would likely be “generational.”
“We are still at the very beginning of this journey, and it is evident platforms are taking different approaches based on their individual circumstances, resulting in variations in the data and outcomes currently surfaced,” she continued. “Speed limits for instance are not a failure because some people speed.
“Most would agree that roads are safer because of them. Over time, compliance increases, norms settle, and the safety benefits grow.”
The regulator said that it plans to continue gathering data, reports and information – including any indications of large-scale user migration to other platforms – to ensure compliance, safety and improve industry performance.
eSafety’s analysis has found that migration to other platforms has quickly spiked in terms of downloads but have “not necessarily translated into commensurate usage.”
