Australia toughens kids’ social media ban, doubles potential penalties for tech firms

Australia is intensifying its efforts to protect children online by doubling the potential penalties for technology companies that fail to enforce a ban on social media access for those under 16. The government is also empowering its internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, with enhanced information-gathering capabilities. This allows the regulator to demand proof from social media firms about their measures to prevent underage users from creating accounts.

The maximum penalty for systematic failures to comply with the ban has been raised to A$99 million (approximately $68 million). The government has identified five platforms – Meta's Instagram and Facebook, Google's YouTube, Snap's Snapchat, and TikTok – currently under investigation for potential non-compliance.

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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 are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media.

Australia's pioneering ban, implemented six months ago, is being closely observed by other nations concerned about social media's impact on youth mental and physical health. The urgency is underscored by recent studies showing that age verification methods, such as selfie verification, are easily bypassed by children. One study found that 85 percent of Australian adolescents aged 12 to 15 were still active on social media three months after the ban took effect, with many circumventing the rules by self-declaring an age over 16 or using a selfie.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern that "big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media." He noted that over 5 million under-16 accounts have been deactivated or restricted since the ban's inception. However, Minister for Communications Anika Wells criticized social media platforms for employing "tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by." Planned legal updates will also enable the regulator to gather information from third parties, such as age-assurance providers, to aid in testing compliance.

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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.