Social Media Ban: The Impact On Young People’s News Engagement

This report is based on a representative survey sample of 1,027 Australians aged 10 to 17 conducted in February 2026. It examines the impact of Australia's teen social media ban on young people’s news engagement. The Online Safety Act (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill was brought into law in December 2025. This survey took place just two months after the legislation took effect.

The report is based on a longitudinal survey project that has tracked young Australians’ news consumption since 2017. This preliminary report presents findings relating to the news access implications of the social media ban implemented in December 2025. The full survey report will be published in the second half of 2026.

Key findings

1. The social media ban has had limited reach so far: three in five under-16s report no meaningful change in social media access, while one in four have been significantly affected.
2. Social media is a primary source of news for young Australians: two in five young people aged 10 to 17 used social media for news 'yesterday', while one in three actively follow social media accounts to get news.
3. When the ban does work, news access and civic engagement plummets: one in two of those significantly impacted by the ban say they are now getting less news.
4. The impact of reduced news access is not evenly distributed: the ban’s impact falls hardest on young people whose news diets are the most restricted.
5. Young people’s news diets are already limited: two in five young people don’t use any formal news sources beyond what they get access to indirectly on social media.
6. If enforcement improves, the consequences will grow. As the ban affects more young people, as intended, young people’s news engagement will decline further.