Australia To Double Fines For Social Media Platforms Violating Teen Ban

The Australian government has announced plans to double financial penalties for social media companies that fail to comply with the country’s under-16 social media ban, as authorities move to curb widespread circumvention of the restrictions.

Under new legislation unveiled on Saturday, the maximum fine for systemic breaches of the law will increase to A$99 million (about $68 million). The reforms will also grant additional powers to Australia’s online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, to enforce compliance among technology companies.

The government said the independent regulator is currently “actively investigating” possible non-compliance by major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tougher measures reflected the government’s determination to protect children online.

“It’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law — there are still too many children on social media,” Albanese said.

“These changes reflect the seriousness with which we take any failure by social media companies to comply.”

Australia’s social media restrictions, which came into force on December 10, place responsibility on technology companies to ensure users are at least 16 years old before opening accounts.

However, authorities say many underage users have found ways around the ban by using accounts belonging to older individuals, creating fake profiles or accessing platforms through private browsing tools.

The effectiveness of Australia’s approach is being closely monitored by several countries considering similar measures, including Britain, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.

A recent peer-reviewed study published in the British Medical Journal found “insufficient evidence” that the restrictions had significantly reduced social media use among young people.

The researchers surveyed more than 400 youths before and three months after the ban took effect and reported “substantial circumvention” of the rules.

According to the study, there was little change in social media use among children aged 12 to 13, a slight decline among those aged 14 to 15, and an increase among users aged 16 and above.

Despite the findings, the Australian government said more than five million accounts held by under-16 users have been blocked since the restrictions took effect.

Under the proposed reforms, the eSafety Commissioner will be empowered to compel social media companies to provide evidence of measures taken to prevent underage users from creating accounts.

The regulator will also be able to demand information and documents from third parties, including age-verification providers and app store operators, to verify claims made by technology companies.

Communications Minister Anika Wells accused social media firms of failing to take sufficient action to enforce 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,” Wells said.

“Social media platforms are some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, and we’re serious about holding them to account,” she added.

“These tough new penalties and powers show we will not back down. Instead, we are doubling down on our efforts to hold big tech to account.”

Growing concerns about the impact of excessive social media use on children’s mental health and well-being have fuelled support for the restrictions among many parents.

While social media companies have pledged to comply with the law, they have argued that the measures could drive teenagers toward less regulated and potentially more harmful areas of the internet.

To meet the requirements of the law, platforms must demonstrate they have taken “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from accessing their services. Some companies have adopted artificial intelligence tools that estimate users’ ages from photographs, while others allow age verification through government-issued identification documents.