Young Australians Seek Alternatives After Social Media Ban

The Australian ban on using major social media platforms for children under 16 years of age took effect on December 9. The first day of the ban saw alternative, less-regulated apps spiking in downloads as young users sought workarounds.

Apple’s app store rankings showed TikTok-backed Lemon8 as the most downloaded free app in Australia, followed by private photo-sharing service Yope and Coverstar, which positions itself as the safest alternative to TikTok for children aged 9 to 16. Coverstar’s usage jumped 488% compared with the same period last year, while Chinese app Rednote recorded a 37% increase in weekly active users. Simultaneously, demand for VPNs rose 103% compared with the daily average of the previous 28 days.

Australia’s new law obliges social media platforms, including TikTok and Meta Platforms’ Instagram, to prevent under-16s from holding accounts or face fines of up to AUD49.5 million ($33 million). Australia is the first democracy to impose such restrictions as a response to growing concerns around online harm, cyberbullying, and exposure to inappropriate content.

While major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, have begun enforcing the rules by blocking attempts to create underage accounts, several have warned that the law risks pushing minors into dangerous online spaces. Elon Musk’s X also confirmed compliance, stating: “It’s not our choice – it’s what the Australian law requires.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argued the ban is pushing back against big tech, saying that social media companies have a social responsibility. He noted that the new law marks a profound reform that will continue to reverberate around the world in the coming months, adding that it will change lives for Australian kids and allow them to just have their childhood.