But they banned "social media" not smartphones. If they actually banned smartphones, this regulation would be much easier to enforce.
But by just banning a select few apos, kids are just going to move onto the next app.
And not only that, it only bans kids from having an account, they can still view content while logged out.
So Im going to bet that this not be effective, not be enforcable.
Like that is the goal here, because observably any phone with a web browser has social media access, it just can't be a company which tries to do business in Australia directly.
But 4chan has existed for years (that's not the end point, but certainly creating a selective pressure to push teenagers to less regulated, shadier social media services doesn't seem like it's quite the result people want).
The short version I'd say is, this move seems solely aimed at taking away a virtual third space for adolescents and doesn't plan to offer anything back. But people didn't go seeking it because it offered nothing.
maybe the peer pressure for phones issue would look completely different without compulsory education.