Recent empirical evaluations indicate significant deficiencies in the implementation of child safety features and age-verification protocols across major social media platforms.

最近的實證評估顯示，各大社交媒體平台在執行兒童安全功能與年齡驗證協議方面，存在顯著缺陷。

The Cybersafety Research Center, a joint venture between New York University and Northeastern University, conducted a quantitative assessment of 86 safety features on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. The findings demonstrate that approximately 60% of these features failed to meet the dual criteria of accessibility and functional efficacy. Specifically, failure rates were recorded at 73% for Snapchat, 66% for Instagram, 55% for YouTube, and 50% for TikTok. Observed malfunctions included the failure of content filters to intercept harmful search terms related to self-harm and eating disorders, as well as the inability of platforms to prevent adult accounts from initiating or maintaining unrestricted communication with minors.

由紐約大學與東北大學合資成立的網絡安全研究中心（Cybersafety Research Center），對 TikTok、Instagram、Snapchat 與 YouTube 的 86 項安全功能進行了定量評估。研究結果顯示，約 60% 的功能未能同時滿足「易於操作」與「功能有效」這兩項標準。具體而言，Snapchat 的失敗率為 73%，Instagram 為 66%，YouTube 為 55%，而 TikTok 則為 50%。觀察到的失效情況包括：內容篩選功能未能攔截與自殘或飲食失調相關的有害搜尋詞，以及平台無法防止成年人帳號與未成年人啟動或維持不受限的溝通。

Parallelly, the Australian regulatory environment has encountered systemic obstacles in the enforcement of a legislative mandate prohibiting social media access for individuals under 16. A study by KJR revealed that platforms largely failed to implement age-assurance measures for accounts self-declaring an age of 16, suggesting a reliance on low-friction vetting that is susceptible to user circumvention. While the Australian government has responded by increasing maximum financial penalties and threatening litigation, platforms maintain that their protocols align with regulator guidance regarding behavioral indicators. Conversely, academic and child safety advocates argue that the absence of rigorous testing for real-life circumvention has undermined the ban's efficacy.

與此同時，澳洲的監管環境在執行「禁止 16 歲以下人士使用社交媒體」的立法指令時，遇到了系統性障礙。KJR 的一項研究顯示，平台在處理自我聲明為 16 歲的帳號時，基本上未能落實年齡核實措施，顯示其依賴的低門檻審核極易被用戶繞過。雖然澳洲政府已透過提高最高罰金並威脅採取法律行動來回應，但平台堅持其協議符合監管機構關於行為指標的指引。相反，學術界與兒童安全倡導者認為，由於缺乏對現實繞過手段的嚴格測試，導致該禁令的成效大打折扣。

In contrast to these compliance challenges, some platforms have introduced targeted safety initiatives. YouTube has expanded its 'supervised kid accounts' into the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, incorporating restrictive content settings and mindful viewing reminders. Furthermore, researchers noted that certain automated protections, such as TikTok's 'Younger Users' view and Instagram's default private settings for minors, represent effective design paradigms for digital safeguarding.

相較於這些合規挑戰，部分平台推出了針對性的安全方案。YouTube 將其「受監督的兒童帳號」擴展至中東、北非與土耳其，納入了限制性內容設定與專注觀看提醒。此外，研究人員指出，某些自動化保護措施——例如 TikTok 的「年輕用戶」視圖與 Instagram 為未成年人設定的預設私密帳號——代表了數位保護中有效的設計範式。

Current data suggests a persistent gap between the advertised safety capabilities of social media platforms and their actual operational performance, particularly regarding age verification and the prevention of minor exposure to harmful content.

目前的數據顯示，社交媒體平台宣傳的安全功能與實際操作表現之間，仍存在持續差距，尤其是在年齡驗證與防止未成年人接觸有害內容方面。