A NEW report from the eSafety Commissioner reveals that Australian children are easily circumventing social media age restrictions, as most platforms rely on self-declared ages at sign-up, with little verification.
The study, surveying children aged 8-15, found that YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram were the most popular platforms among underage users.
While some platforms, like TikTok and YouTube, use tools to detect underage users, most rely on the birthdate entered at sign-up, making it easy for children to falsify their age.
Snapchat reported 440,000 Australian users aged 13-15, Instagram 350,000, YouTube 325,000 and TikTok 200,000.
However, these figures likely underestimate the true scale, as 95 per cent of teens aged 13-15 report using social media.
The report also found that 80 per cent of children aged 8-12 access social media, often using a parent’s account.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has called for stronger protections.
“Social media services must make it harder for underage users to sign up and ensure safety measures are in place by default,” she said.
With the Federal Government introducing minimum age legislation this year, consultations on stricter enforcement measures are underway.
