Australia to double fine on platforms for flouting teen social media ban

Australia is set to double the financial penalties for social media platforms that fail to comply with its ban on users under the age of 16. The government announced Saturday that new legislation will increase the maximum fine for systemic breaches to Aus$99 million ($68 million).

The move aims to address widespread evasion of the restrictions, which were introduced as part of the country's "world-leading social media ban" for minors. The enhanced penalties are designed to compel platforms to take greater responsibility for enforcing age limits.

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

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that "big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law" and that "there are still too many children on social media." He emphasized the seriousness with which the government views any failure by social media companies to adhere to the regulations.

The independent eSafety online regulator will be granted greater powers to curb non-compliance. The watchdog is reportedly already investigating potential breaches by major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Underage users have been attempting to circumvent the rules by using accounts registered under false identities or by other means.

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