Fifteen-year-old Noah hasn't been kicked off any social media platforms he's still fighting Australia's under-16 ban in court

"Noah Jones's experience with the social media ban has been largely unchanged, stating, 'I had a minor inconvenience on Instagram but then got past it.' This reflects a broader trend among teens under 16 in Australia, many of whom continue to access social media despite the restrictions."

"The eSafety commissioner revealed that over 5 million accounts were deactivated, yet more than two-thirds of teens still use the platforms subject to the ban. This indicates a significant gap between policy enforcement and actual user behavior."

"Many children are bypassing age verification technologies, with reports indicating that platforms often ask users to adjust their age rather than deactivate accounts. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the ban and the compliance of social media platforms."

Noah Jones, a 15-year-old, reports minimal impact from Australia's under-16s social media ban, with many teens still active on platforms. The Digital Freedom Project challenges the ban, arguing it infringes on the constitutional right to political communication. Despite over 5 million accounts deactivated, two-thirds of teens remain on the banned platforms. Many easily bypass age verification, and a significant number of parents report that their children were not asked for age verification. The compliance of platforms with the ban is under scrutiny.

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