SYDNEY, April 30 -- There was "no meaningful shift" away from big tech platforms like TikTok and Instagram in the immediate wake of Australia's world-leading teen social media ban, government documents obtained by AFP show.

Australia in December banned under 16s from a raft of popular social media platforms, launching a world-first crackdown designed to protect children from online bullying and "predatory algorithms".

There is strong global interest in whether Australia's laws could provide a blueprint for how to rein-in increasingly powerful tech giants.

Government documents obtained by AFP using freedom of information laws give an early glimpse into how the restrictions are working.

They showed that platforms such as Instagram and T...