What followed was that under-16s were barred from 10 social media platforms, with hefty fines for platforms that do not take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts.
When the law was passed, though, Kelly did not feel happiness. “You can’t get your child back, but it’s (a) relief that other people might,” she said.
“(The ban) is for … the next generation who’d just know this life to be normal — to not want 10,000 likes or 800 followers.”
That hope may be aspirational. A study by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner found that 81.5 per cent of under-16s were using social media in March, compared to 85.9 per cent before the ban.
“Nothing really changed for me. I’m still on all of the platforms,” said Alyssia, 14, who had “done (her) lashes” and worn lip gloss the day she scanned her face, which was enough for her to complete the age verification.
Michael, 13, has seen his friends exploit the same loophole. They would “look left, look right” and “suck in their cheeks” to look older.
