Research Shows Over 85% of Under-16s Continue Accessing Restricted Platforms Post-Ban

A peer-reviewed BMJ study and analysis by the Molly Rose Foundation found that over 85 percent of minors under 16 continued to access restricted platforms following implementation of age-based bans, and that adolescent exposure to high-risk content in the UK remained statistically unchanged post-Online Safety Act. The findings emerged from a mid-year trust and safety assessment covering regulatory enforcement including the European Commission's preliminary findings against Meta regarding under-13s, proceedings against Shein, Snapchat and four adult-content platforms, and Ofcom's fine of 4chan and information notices to more than 40 platforms, alongside platform responses including teen-by-default settings, parent-managed accounts and tighter age assurance measures.

Blanket age restrictions create an illusion of safety for parents while minors continue to access platforms by misrepresenting their age, and compliant users who could benefit from supervised access are excluded entirely. Backed by Startmate, Guardii detects grooming, sextortion, CSAM distribution, cyberbullying and abuse in real time within children's direct-message conversations, flagging or blocking hostile contact before it reaches the target and surfacing a child in acute distress to a parent, school or professional. Targeted detection addresses the underlying harm on the platforms children actually use, whether or not those children have formal permission to be there, without the structural limits of a gate that non-compliant users simply step around.