Australia is preparing to significantly increase penalties for social media companies that fail to enforce the country’s under-16 social media ban, arguing that major technology firms are still not doing enough to prevent children from accessing their platforms.
The federal government has introduced legislation that would double the maximum penalty for systemic breaches of the law from A$49.5 million to A$99 million (about US$68 million). The proposed changes would also expand the powers of the country’s online safety regulator to investigate non-compliance.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said too many children remain on social media despite the ban taking effect last December, accusing major platforms of failing to meet their legal obligations.
“It’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law,” Albanese said while announcing the tougher measures.
The legislation would give Australia’s eSafety Commissioner stronger authority to require companies to demonstrate how they are preventing users under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts. Regulators would also be able to obtain information from third parties, including app stores and age-verification providers, to verify whether platforms are accurately reporting their compliance efforts.
Several major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, are already under investigation over potential failures to comply with the country’s world-first social media restrictions for minors.
The government’s tougher stance follows evidence suggesting the ban has not fully achieved its intended effect. While officials say more than five million underage accounts have been removed, restricted, or deactivated since the law came into force, recent research found that a large majority of Australian teenagers continue to access social media by bypassing age restrictions.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said regulators need stronger enforcement tools because some companies appear to be doing only the minimum required to comply with the legislation.
The proposed reforms are intended to make it more difficult for platforms to avoid scrutiny by allowing the eSafety Commissioner to demand internal records and evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of their age-assurance systems.
Australia became the first country to implement a nationwide ban preventing children under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms. The policy has attracted global attention, with several other governments considering similar restrictions as concerns grow over children’s online safety and the effects of social media on young users.
If approved by Parliament, the amendments would give regulators substantially greater leverage to pursue companies that fail to enforce the age restrictions, reinforcing Australia’s position as one of the world’s most aggressive regulators of children’s access to social media.