Australian Teenagers Bypass Social Media Ban by Frowning at Camera
December 11th, 2025Via: Telegraph:
Teenagers in Australia are cheating the government’s world-first social media ban and openly mocking the prime minister on banned platforms.
Young people told The Telegraph how they were getting past the new age-verification technology by frowning at the camera. Others told Anthony Albanese to “f— off” after accessing sites such as Instagram and Snapchat, which the new law has banned for those under the age of 16.
The group of self-styled “social media survivors” had skirted the ban within minutes of it being introduced on Wednesday, raising concerns that the policy is not fit for purpose.
They trolled Mr Albanese after he’d told them to “read a book” or learn how to play an instrument.
“How it feels still having social media,” one young girl said in a video posted online showing her dancing. She added a hashtag telling the prime minister to “f— off”. Another called him a derogatory term before saying they had circumvented the government’s ban.
