The eSafety Commissioner published fresh metrics from its social media minimum-age evaluation on the eve of the holiday device season, reporting that many restricted platforms had still not asked existing Australian users to confirm they were at least 16 three months after the 10 December 2025 start date.
The August 2026 “Early days, early insights” report is explicit that it is not a final compliance finding. It snapshots household surveys and platform data collected in the first quarter of operation, when schools were on summer break and gift buyers were already browsing phones and tablets for Christmas.
What parents reported
Survey waves cited in the report show a majority of parents aware of the under-16 ban, but uneven understanding of how appeals and data deletion should work when accounts are removed. eSafety had previously told platforms to prepare reinstatement processes, child-safe messaging and alternatives to self-declared birth years.
The independent Age Assurance Technology Trial, whose final report landed in August 2025, tested more than 60 vendor solutions spanning verification, estimation and parental consent flows. eSafety’s regulatory guidance draws on that evidence base when judging whether a platform took “reasonable steps” to prevent under-age accounts—a standard that can carry civil penalties up to $49.5 million.
Enforcement powers expanded
Parliament passed strengthening amendments in September 2026, giving the commissioner broader information-gathering powers and the ability to compel witnesses in investigations. Retailers selling connected devices said they expect more point-of-sale questions about parental controls as charities amplify eSafety’s holiday checklist.
Platforms argue age inference from behaviour is imperfect and that privacy-preserving verification adds friction at signup. Child-safety groups counter that self-reported birthdays were never credible and that holiday spikes in new accounts require proactive checks, not reactive takedowns after harm occurs.
eSafety said it will publish another survey wave after the back-to-school period, when account creation historically jumps. For now, the commissioner’s message to families is unchanged: use official app stores, enable device-level restrictions, and report circumvention tutorials that target Australian children.
Retailers and schools
Major electronics chains said they will train seasonal staff to direct parents to eSafety’s online guides rather than offering ad-hoc age advice at registers. Principals’ associations want uniform messaging before students receive holiday handsets, noting that peer pressure to join group chats often arrives before families finish privacy settings.
The commissioner’s office said it will run targeted ads in gaming forums where under-age users report the highest exposure to grooming risks, separate from the social-media account ban but linked in enforcement strategy.