Australia has announced tougher penalties for social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, doubling the maximum fine to A$99 million as new evidence suggests thousands of under-16s continue to bypass the country’s landmark social media ban.
The Australian government said it will significantly strengthen enforcement of its world-first restrictions on underage social media use by increasing penalties for non-compliant technology companies and expanding the investigative powers of the country’s internet regulator.
Under the proposed changes, companies found to have systematically failed to enforce the social media ban will face fines of up to A$99 million (US$68 million), double the previous maximum penalty of A$49.5 million.
The government will also empower the eSafety Commissioner to compel social media platforms to provide evidence of the measures they have implemented to prevent children under the age of 16 from creating or maintaining accounts.
Authorities said investigations are already underway into the possible non-compliance of five major platforms—Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tougher measures reflect growing concerns that technology companies have failed to fully enforce the law.
“I’m heartened by the shift in conversation and the global momentum we’ve seen since introducing the social media minimum age, but it’s clear Big Tech is not doing enough to comply with the law—there are still too many children on social media,” he said.
The government disclosed that more than five million under-16 accounts have been deactivated or restricted since the legislation came into force six months ago.
However, recent research indicates the ban has not been as effective as intended.
A study published this week in the British Medical Journal found that 85 per cent of Australians aged between 12 and 15 were still using social media three months after the restrictions took effect. The research showed that many underage users gained access by simply declaring they were over 16 or by uploading selfies that platforms accepted as age verification.
The findings have intensified criticism of existing age-assurance systems, with experts arguing that many of the verification tools deployed by technology companies remain easy for children to circumvent.
Communications Minister Anika Wells accused social media companies of doing the bare minimum to comply with the law.
“Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,” she said.
The planned amendments will also allow regulators to seek information from third parties, including age-verification technology providers and app store operators, to independently assess whether platforms are accurately enforcing the restrictions.
Australia’s social media ban has attracted international attention, with several governments studying the legislation as they consider introducing similar measures to protect children online. The United Kingdom has already announced plans to expand proposed restrictions to include gaming and live-streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, online forum Reddit is challenging the legislation in Australia’s highest court, arguing that the ban infringes on free speech. The Australian government has said it will vigorously defend the law.
The latest reforms underscore Australia’s determination to hold technology companies accountable as governments worldwide intensify efforts to improve online safety and protect children from the potential harms associated with social media.
