---
title: "What Do Australians Think About Social Media Restrictions for Kids?"
description: "About eight-in-ten Australian adults support restricting access to social media for kids. This includes 51% who strongly support it."
date: "2026-10-01"
authors:
  - name: "Laura Clancy"
    job_title: "Research Analyst"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/laura-clancy/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/10/01/what-do-australians-think-about-social-media-restrictions-for-kids/"
categories:
  - "Children & Tech"
  - "Social Media"
  - "Teens & Tech"
---

# What Do Australians Think About Social Media Restrictions for Kids?

![Ava Chanel Jones, a 12-year-old Australian social media influencer, with her mother in Melbourne, Australia, on Nov. 18, 2025. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/SR_26.10.01_australia-social-media_featured.png?w=640)

On Dec. 10, 2025, Australia enacted [a first-of-its-kind law](https://www.unicef.org.au/unicef-youth/staying-safe-online/social-media-ban-explainer?srsltid=AfmBOopUwjQ1NkxN9wkkqQ9ULVkf14PfygUCKuwzkU4x2kyLXBfVaPac) to restrict children’s access to social media. The law requires social media platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, to verify the ages of all account holders and remove any accounts that belong to children under 16 years old.

### Older Australians are especially supportive of restricting children’s social media access

*% who __ restricting access to social media for children in Australia*

|  | NET oppose | Strongly oppose | Somewhat oppose | Somewhat support | Strongly support | NET support | Grouping |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australian adults | 18 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 51 | 82 | Total |
| Men | 21 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 46 | 79 | Gender |
| Women | 15 | 3 | 12 | 28 | 57 | 85 | Gender |
| Ages 18-29 | 26 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 38 | 73 | Age |
| 30-49 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 48 | 80 | Age |
| 50-64 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 33 | 52 | 85 | Age |
| 65+ | 11 | 3 | 8 | 21 | 68 | 89 | Age |
| Uses social media daily | 21 | 6 | 15 | 33 | 46 | 79 | Use |
| Uses social media less often | 9 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 61 | 90 | Use |
| Does not use social media | 18 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 63 | 82 | Use |
| Parent of kid(s) <16 | 18 | 5 | 14 | 31 | 51 | 82 | Parent |
| Not a parent of kid(s) <16 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 30 | 52 | 82 | Parent |
| Supports the Labor party | 19 | 6 | 13 | 30 | 50 | 81 | Support |
| Does not support the Labor party | 14 | 4 | 11 | 30 | 56 | 86 | Support |

Note: Those who did not answer are not shown.

Source: Survey of Australian adults conducted March 30-April 13, 2026.

Despite mixed reports on the [efficacy](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/world/australia/australia-social-media-ban-under-16.html) and [impact](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-australias-pioneering-social-media-ban-is-impacting-teens) of the ban, **82% of Australian adults support restricting access to social media for kids**. This includes 51% who strongly support it, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Since we fielded the survey in the spring, the Australian government has [strengthened the law](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/world/australia/social-media-ban-children.html), including by doubling the maximum fine for social media companies that don’t comply.

Australians’ support for restricting children’s social media use is high overall, but the strength of that support varies.

**About this research**

This Pew Research Center analysis explores Australians’ support for restricting children’s social media access.

#### Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, media and decision-makers understand important topics. This research is part of the Center’s annual Global Attitudes Survey, which covered 37 countries in 2026 and topics ranging from [views of the U.S.](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/06/23/trump-gets-negative-reviews-internationally-as-fewer-say-u-s-is-a-reliable-partner/) to [views of AI](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/09/17/globally-more-people-expect-ai-to-cause-job-loss-than-growth/) and more.

#### How did we do this?

The data for this analysis is from a survey of 2,064 Australian adults from March 30 to April 13, 2026. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Social Research Centre’s Life in Australia™ panel. The survey is representative of the full Australian population.

Here is the [survey question used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/SR_26.10.01_australia-social-media_topline.pdf) along with detailed responses, and [the methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/feature/international-methodology/all-survey/australia/all-year/).

**Young adults show the *least* support for limiting access.** About seven-in-ten Australians ages 18 to 29 support restricting children’s social media access. They are roughly split between strong and mild support. Among Australians 65 and older, 89% support restrictions, including 68% who *strongly* support them.

Those who use social media and those who do not use it are equally supportive of restrictions. However, **lighter users support restrictions more than heavy users do:** 79% of those who use social media every day support bans, compared with 90% of those who use social media less often.

## What places have restricted access to social media for kids?

[Seven countries](https://social-media-age-tracker.onrender.com/#status=implemented) have implemented social media restrictions for children. Brazil, for example, became the first Latin American country with this type of law in March. Accounts for children under 16 now require parental consent. That same month, Indonesia began implementing similar restrictions.

Several other countries have passed or are considering restrictions. In addition, the European Commissioner has [pledged, but not yet implemented, a bloc-wide ban](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/13/eu-social-media-ban-children-under-13-ursula-von-der-leyen) for children under 13.

There is no difference in opinion between adults with and without kids under 16. But **more** **mothers than fathers of children under 16 show strong support for restrictions.**

Overall, parents of children 10 and under also show more support for restrictions than those with kids 11 to 15 do.

In addition:

- Women overall are more supportive of restrictions than men are.

- People who do not identify with Australia’s current governing party, Labor, show more support than those who do identify with it.

- Those who say social media has been more of a *bad thing* for Australian democracy are more supportive than those who say it’s been more of a good thing (87% vs. 76%).

- Those who say social media has made people *more divided* show more support than those who say it’s made people less divided (83% vs. 69%).

- Those who say social media has made people *less informed* show more support than those who say the opposite (86% vs. 80%).

***Related:*** *[Across the Globe, People Increasingly Say Social Media Is Harming Democracy](https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2026/10/01/across-the-globe-people-increasingly-say-social-media-is-harming-democracy/)*

#### In the U.S., most Americans support a social media ban for those under 16

The United States does not restrict social media for children at the federal level. However, [56% of U.S. adults](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/07/01/majority-of-americans-support-banning-social-media-for-kids-under-16/) support banning anyone under the age of 16 from using social media sites, according to a Center survey from May and June. This survey took place before Meta and 47 U.S. states reached a [settlement in a landmark case](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/meta-reaches-17-billion-settlement-with-states-in-landmark-trial-over-teen-social-media-addiction) over teen social media addiction.

Notably, adults ages 30 to 49 are the most likely to support a social media ban for children. And Americans who have kids under 18 are much more likely to support a ban than those who don’t have minor children.

*Note: Here is the [survey question used for this analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/09/SR_26.10.01_australia-social-media_topline.pdf) along with detailed responses, and [the methodology](https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/feature/international-methodology/all-survey/australia/all-year/).*