* Qustodio data shows 20% of teens still use banned apps

* Platforms face fines for non-compliance with age

restrictions

* Teen social media use usually dips during summer break,

then recovers

By Byron Kaye

SYDNEY, March 13 (Reuters) - One-fifth of Australian

teenagers under 16 were still using social media two months

after the country banned platforms from allowing minors,

industry data showed, raising questions about the effectiveness

of age-gating methods they are using.

The number of 13-to-15-year-olds using TikTok and SnapChat,

among the most popular social media apps with Australian

teenagers, fell from before the ban took effect in December to

February, but still more than 20% used the apps, according to a

report by parental control software maker Qustodio provided to

Reuters.

The data is among the first to show the effects on youth

online behaviour since Australia rolled out the ban which is

being copied by governments around the world. The Australian

government and at least two university studies are tracking the

ban's impact but none has published data yet.

"Among children whose parents haven't blocked access, a

meaningful number continue to use restricted platforms in the

months following the ban," Qustodio said in the report, which

was based on data collected from Australian families from late

2024 to February.

Under the ban, platforms including Meta's

Instagram, Facebook and Threads, Google's YouTube,

TikTok and Snapchat must block people aged under 16 or

face a fine of up to A$49.5 million ($35 million).

The internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, has said

it will give platforms time to adapt and will only take

enforcement action for systemic non-compliance.

The eSafety Commissioner and Communications Minister were

not immediately available for comment.

A representative for Snapchat was not immediately available

for comment. A TikTok spokesperson declined to comment.

The Qustodio data showed the number of Australians aged

13-15 using Snapchat tumbled 13.8 percentage points to 20.3%

from November to February, while the number in that age group

using TikTok fell 5.7 percentage points to 21.2%.

The number in that age group using YouTube dipped by one

percentage point to 36.9%, although the data did not specify

whether the users were logged into accounts. The Australian ban

allows people of all ages to use YouTube without logging in.

Australian teenage social media use typically dips in

December and January due to the country's long summer school

break, but the data showed a steeper decline than the previous

year, suggesting the ban had an impact, Qustodio said.

But "some dips seen in December-January are slowly beginning

to recover", the report added.

Fears that teenagers might migrate to unregulated platforms

have not materialised, the data showed, although WhatsApp

recorded a small uptick in use among 13-15-year-olds.

($1 = 1.4122 Australian dollars)