Australia's social media ban for under-16s has shown limited impact so far, with many teens finding ways around the restrictions. A report from the e Safety Commissioner, studying over 4,100 children, found that the percentage of under-16s with accounts on age-restricted platforms dropped from 52.4 percent to 42.1 percent three months after the ban. However, 81.5 percent still accessed these services, with platforms like YouTube and TikTok remaining popular.

Usage of platforms not currently covered by the ban, such as Pinterest (growing from 16.6 to 21.8 percent), BeReal, and Mastodon, increased. While some children reported feeling less FOMO and more safe online, there was a decline in parental awareness of social media use. The e Safety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, stated that such complex reforms take time and the impact will be seen over generations. The report also indicated that providers were not effectively preventing under-16s from having accounts, with many children's age verification failing.

Despite the ban, children turned to messaging services and video games more frequently. Notably, there was no statistically significant change in the reported use of AI chatbots by children.