# Australia defends under-16 social media ban despite low compliance 2026-08-07T06:00:13+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Australia defended its world-first social media ban for children under 16 after regulator eSafety found that more than eight in 10 teenagers were still using social media three months after the restrictions began. The March study found children aged 10 to 15 were using platforms as often as before the December 10 ban, while parents had less awareness of their online activity. Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh said millions of accounts had been shut and argued that laws need not achieve full compliance to matter. The government plans tougher enforcement, including doubling the maximum penalty for technology companies that breach the rules, The Hindu reports. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Australia, children, online safety, social media, technology Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/australia-defends-under-16-social-media-ban-despite-low-compliance/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/australia-defends-under-16-social-media-ban-despite-low-compliance/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.