Australia is strengthening its laws banning children from social media after evidence emerged that the original ban, which took effect in December and prohibits under-16s from holding accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, has largely failed to be enforced. A survey by the country's online safety office found roughly two-thirds of children who had accounts before the ban managed to retain access, prompting the government to act. Australia's crackdown has nonetheless influenced policy globally, with Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom all announcing similar restrictions in recent months, as governments worldwide grapple with growing evidence of social media's harm to children's mental health.