Asia & Pacific
Australia's internet regulator eSafety found children aged 10 to 15 were using social media just as frequently in March as they had before the ban came into force on Dec. 10, while parental awareness of their online habits had actually declined.
A 15-year-old girl poses while holding a mobile phone in Sydney, Australia, on July 14, 2026. (Reuters/Jeremy Piper)
Australia's government mounted a defense on Saturday of its world-first ban on social media for children under 16, even as fresh data revealed the scale of the challenge confronting the landmark policy.The defense came a day after the nation's internet regulator found that more than eight in 10 Australian teenagers were still using social media three months after the restrictions took effect, underscoring the difficulty of policing a digital world woven into daily life.
Australia introduced the landmark ban in December on concerns about the impact of social media on the mental and physical health of children. The ban, being closely watched overseas, has drawn criticism from social media companies, mostly based in the United States.
