Australia’s social media ban preventing teens from accessing the news, research finds

Half of the teenagers who have been blocked say they are seeing less news than before – but they are not necessarily going back to traditional sources

Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast

Australia’s social media ban is preventing teenagers from accessing news, a new study has found, with half of the teenagers who have been blocked saying they’re seeing less news than before.

Two-thirds of under-16s have remained on social media platforms since the ban came into effect in December. But for those who were kicked off, the change has meant seeing less news than before the ban.

The report , from a research group from Western Sydney University, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Canberra who lead the longitudinal Young People and News study, surveyed 1,027 Australians aged between 10 and 17 in February 2026 on the ban and news consumption habits.

The report found that just over a quarter (26%) of this cohort had been significantly affected by the ban, and just over half of those (51%) were seeing less news than before the ban taking effect.

That compares with 12% who were moderately affected, with 34% of those seeing less news, and 61% who reported not being affected, with 22% seeing less news.

Social media was the second most popular method for teenagers to get news at 39%, behind family at 52%. The study found that teenagers use social media for news more as they age, with 72% of 16 and 17-year-olds using social media for news, compared with 37% of 10 to 12-year-olds.

Of those who were seeing much less news as a result of the ban, 47% reported losing access to world news and events, 45% said they had lost the opportunity to share views, and 42% said they had lost access to local news.

The ban does not necessarily mean teenagers are seeking news from other sources, however, with 39% saying they don’t use any other news sources. Of the teenagers surveyed, 75% said news organisations have “no idea what their lives are actually like” while 71% say they find it difficult to source news relevant to people their age.

“It’s potentially quite ironic that news organisations advocated for [the social media ban],” said the lead researcher, Prof Tanya Notley from Western Sydney University’s School of Arts and Institute for Culture and Society.

“One of the unintended consequences is that young people are getting less news – I think there is perhaps a belief that young people will go back to traditional news sources.”

She said the research, going back to 2017, has found that young people are more and more getting news on social media over traditional news sources.

“It is a real worry that this might just have a longer term consequence of young people no longer being in the habit or the practice of getting news.”

Notley said the government should be funding and supporting news from organisations that cater to young people, such as Squiz Kids, and news literacy should be taught in classrooms.

Of the teenagers surveyed, 46% of 16 to 17-year-olds, 45% of 13 to 15-year-olds, and 34% of 10 to 12-year-olds said they had mixed feelings about the social media ban.

Those aged 13-15, who could have had social media accounts before 10 December but are now banned, were the cohort most likely to oppose the ban at 29%.

The federal government announced in March that the eSafety commissioner was investigating Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube over compliance with the ban. The move would be the first stage in potentially seeking fines from companies in the federal court of up to $49.5m per breach of the social media ban.

Two high court challenges to the ban have yet to be heard.

The Albanese government has claimed that 4.7m under-16s social media accounts have been deactivated, removed or restricted since 10 December. The communications minister, Anika Wells, refused a request from the independent senator Fatima Payman for documents outlining the government’s process to verify this figure.

In a letter to the Senate tabled last week, Wells said releasing related documents “could prejudice the eSafety’s commissioner’s ability to effectively engage in compliance and enforcement activities”.