The Teens Who Will Bypass Meta's Two-Hour Limit

In Australia, where the ban on social media accounts for under-16s has been in place since December 10, 2025, the percentage of minors who had an active account fell from 52.4 percent to 42.1 percent in a matter of months. But the actual usage rate fell by just 4.4 percentage points, from 85.9 percent to 81.5 percent, according to a survey by the eSafety Commissioner. The distance between these two numbers reveals something that any rule based on minutes and hours must eventually address. Teenagers don’t stop using a platform because a rule prohibits it. They just find a way to stay on it. The two-hour limit imposed by Meta on its teenage users after settling $18 billion with 48 U.S. states is set to be tested on exactly this bypass dynamic.