Australia’s social media ban preventing teenagers 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%