Australia’s world-first ban on social media for children under 16 is still not significantly reducing use, according to a study by the eSafety Commissioner reported by multiple outlets. The study finds that among children aged 10 to 15, the share using at least one age-restricted social media platform falls only slightly after the ban begins. Before the ban took effect on December 10, nearly 86% of children surveyed reported using at least one age-restricted platform. Three months later, the figure remains above 81%. The study also reports that social media use is broadly similar in March compared with the pre-ban period, including daily use, which declines only marginally from about 60% to about 58%. While overall account ownership decreases (reported as falling from 52% to 42%), reductions are “statistically significant” in specific services such as YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. eSafety attributes continued access largely to weak or ineffective age-assurance checks by platforms, with around half of children who retained accounts saying their age was not checked, or that systems incorrectly assessed them as older. Australia’s government defends the policy despite the findings.