Social media ban for U-16s risks backfiring without smarter safeguards
Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s could push young users to riskier online spaces unless it’s paired with smarter safety strategies, a CQUniversity socio-tech expert has warned.
Associate Professor Ritesh Chugh says the ban is a bold and necessary move, but warns its success will hinge on fair enforcement, smarter risk reduction and giving young people the skills to protect themselves online.
“This is an important national conversation about how we balance the benefits of social connection with the need to protect younger Australians from online risks,” Associate Professor Chugh said.
“The responsibility won’t fall solely on parents and schools – platforms will now have a clear duty of care.
“But the challenge will be in the detail: how to enforce it fairly, avoid unnecessary intrusion, and keep safe digital spaces open for young people.”
Under the new laws, platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X and YouTube must prevent under-16s from creating accounts or interacting on their services or face multi-million-dollar fines.
Associate Professor Chugh warns that poorly designed age verification could backfire.
“If people are asked to verify their age for every Google search, it’s like showing your passport every time you step into a library.
“People will naturally look for ways around it, and determined young users will find them.”
International experience offers a cautionary tale. UK laws have pushed more teens to use VPNs, bypassing checks and creating “data blind spots” that make harmful activity harder to detect.
He also points to the role of algorithms in pushing extreme or harmful content into mainstream feeds.
“The internet’s ‘bad corners’ have moved into the middle of the street,” he said. “If we don’t change the incentives that drive platforms to push addictive, inappropriate content, parental controls will always be playing catch-up.”
His solution is a multi-layered approach – parents staying engaged, schools teaching digital literacy, platforms making safety the default, and governments setting and enforcing strong standards.
“We often talk about making the internet safer for kids, but we also need to make kids safer for the internet,” he said.
