Underage Social Media Access Unchanged Despite New Laws, Report Finds
New research shows that children under 13 are still using social media apps at the same rate as before, even though legal obligations to stop this came into effect in July 2025. The report, from online safety charity CyberSafeKids, reveals that many eight to 12-year-olds continue to hold accounts on platforms that require users to be at least 13 years old.
The findings also point to a sharp rise in young people using generative AI tools, and a significant increase in children encountering scams, fake information, and other negative experiences online. While the report acknowledges that parent-led movements have helped delay smartphone ownership for some primary school children, it warns that these efforts are not reaching every community equally.
Why are the age rules not working?
CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney said the current debate about banning under-16s from social media is missing the real problem. She argued that existing laws designed to protect children are simply not being enforced.
We're arguing over whether to lock the door while the laws already meant to protect children inside go unenforced.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Cooney said social media companies know the real ages of the children using their services and could do far more to protect them. She highlighted that age verification is a straightforward measure that platforms could adopt immediately.
What about access to pornography?
Cooney raised particular concern about children accessing adult content online. She noted that European rules require age verification before anyone under 18 can view pornography, but these rules are being widely ignored.
She went further, saying platforms are not just allowing access but are actively pushing pornography towards underage users, with a significant increase over the past year. This, she said, is deeply troubling for parents and for society as a whole.
Are some children more at risk than others?
The report found stark differences in the experiences of children from different backgrounds. Cooney said children in DEIS schools report much higher rates of underage social media use, engagement with AI chatbots, playing 18+ games, and talking to strangers online.
She stressed that whatever measures are introduced must reach every corner of the country, so that all children are protected equally, regardless of where they live or what school they attend.
What do the experts say needs to change?
Nicola Flannery, Partner in Digital Trust and Privacy at Deloitte Ireland, said the report shows that children are navigating digital spaces that were never designed with their needs in mind. She said regulation alone was never going to be enough.
It requires regulators to close the gaps this report identifies, the platforms to build in safety by design from the outset, schools to embed digital literacy into curricula, and parents to stay engaged.
Mick Moran, CEO of the Irish Internet Hotline, described the situation as very worrying. He said the fact that an eight-year-old could have access to the same material as adults suggests an ecosystem of harm that needs urgent attention.
What is being done about enforcement?
Fianna Fáil MEP for Ireland South Cynthia Ní Mhurchú said she is deeply disappointed and distressed by the findings and by the slowness of enforcement. She pointed out that Ireland and Europe have the laws, including the Digital Services Act, but that regulatory investigations take months and years while harm to children happens immediately.
The message from the report is clear: the laws exist, but they are not being applied. Parents, schools, and communities are doing what they can, but the platforms and regulators must step up. The safety of our children online cannot wait any longer.