Australia to double potential fines over child social media accounts

The Australian government has announced plans to double maximum fines for social media companies that fail to prevent children under 16 from accessing their platforms. This legislative move follows reports that the country's world-first age ban has struggled with compliance, with a significant majority of underage users remaining active on major apps. The development represents a critical escalation in global regulatory efforts to hold Big Tech accountable for online safety and age verification enforcement.

Communications Minister Anika Wells introduced draft legislation to increase the maximum penalty for non-compliance to 99 million Australian dollars ($68 million). The move targets platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, which the government accuses of failing to take reasonable steps to enforce the under-16 ban that took effect on December 10. Wells criticized the platforms for resisting the restrictions, stating that the government is toughening laws because the current scheme is not working as intended due to platforms taking the Mickey with their enforcement efforts.

The proposed amendments significantly expand the authority of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s online safety watchdog. The new powers will allow the commissioner to demand documents and information not only from the social media companies themselves but also from third-party age assurance technology providers. This is intended to verify how children are circumventing bans and to test the validity of claims made by tech companies regarding their compliance measures. Inman Grant previously indicated that she was considering court action against major platforms, including YouTube, for inadequate exclusion of underage users.

Data from the eSafety office highlights the scale of the enforcement challenge, revealing that seven in 10 children who held accounts on restricted platforms when the law began remained active as of March. While the government initially reported that over 5 million accounts were removed or restricted, Minister Wells noted that monthly updates since March have shown no further improvement. While platforms like X, Reddit, and Threads were cited for making satisfactory progress, the continued presence of minors on the largest networks has led to political criticism from the opposition, with Senator Jane Hume labeling the original legislation undercooked.

This regulatory shift in Australia is being closely monitored by other nations considering similar age-based restrictions for social media. The outcome of these increased fines and investigative powers will likely set a global precedent for how governments manage the intersection of child safety and platform accountability. By targeting the financial bottom line and increasing transparency through third-party audits, Australia aims to force a more rigorous implementation of age-gating technologies across the social media sector.