The UK just banned social media for kids under 16, but Australia tried the same thing, and 61% of teens' accounts are still active. Will this potentially happen here in America? Here's what it means for your family.
You’ve probably seen headlines this week about the UK banning social media for children under 16, which they modeled on Australia’s law passed last year. “Could a social media ban happen here?” is a question our team receives in nearly all of our online safety presentations at schools.
On Monday, the UK announced they will ban children under 16 from having accounts on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and X. Messaging apps are excluded, and enforcement targets platforms with fines, not families. The exact rules are still being finalized by regulators.
Australia’s ban took effect in December 2025. Officials touted early wins, including 4.7 million accounts removed in the first month. But an April 2026 independent survey of Australian 12-15 year olds tells a different story. 61% of teens who had accounts on restricted platforms still have at least one active account. Most of them didn’t even need a workaround. The platforms simply never flagged their accounts.
Among those who did get around something, 70% said it was easy. Only 5% used a VPN. Most just entered a different birthday or had an older sibling sign up. 51% of children who used restricted platforms prior to the ban say it made no difference to their online safety, and 14% now feel less safe. A law on the books doesn’t reliably translate into a kid actually being off the platform.
No, an outright ban is not likely. US courts have repeatedly ruled that blocking accounts violates the First Amendment. There is more narrow legislation in Congress like the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require platforms to build in safer default settings for kids. Another bill, the App Store Accountability Act, would force Apple and Google to verify age at the app store level instead of every platform doing so.
The bad news is that a ban isn’t likely to happen in the US, and even if it did, kids would still be vulnerable. The good news is we don’t need a ban to start protecting our children online. What we need is a band of parents working together. Ban it in your own home. Create a community of other parents willing to do the same. Give yourself permission to be the “uncool parent.” Your child’s safety and mental health depend on it.
And when it comes time for them to join social media, video games, and AI platforms, set up parental controls and have ongoing online safety conversations. Don’t wait until something goes wrong.
We show parents exactly how to do that at Haven.
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The UK just followed Australia in banning social media for kids under 16, but Australia's real-world results show the law isn't working. Six months in, 61% of affected teens still have active accounts, and most didn't even need a workaround. The platforms just didn't enforce it. A US ban faces First Amendment hurdles and isn't likely anytime soon. Legislation alone won't keep kids safe. The most reliable protection is still parents setting rules, building community with other families, and staying in the conversation as kids grow into these platforms.
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