Australia is set to double the maximum fines for social media companies that fail to enforce its ban on users under the age of 16, as the government moves to strengthen compliance with the law.
The proposed legislation would increase the maximum penalty for systemic breaches to 99 million Australian dollars (about $68 million) and give the country’s eSafety Commissioner wider powers to investigate and monitor compliance.
The government said the regulator is already investigating whether major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, are meeting their legal obligations.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tougher measures were necessary because too many children were still accessing social media despite the ban.
The restrictions, which took effect on December 10, require social media companies to ensure Australian users are at least 16 years old before allowing them to create accounts.
Authorities say some underage users have bypassed the rules by using accounts belonging to older people, creating fake profiles or accessing platforms through private browsing tools.
Although more than five million accounts linked to users under 16 have been blocked since the law came into force, the government believes stronger enforcement powers are needed.
Under the proposed changes, the eSafety Commissioner will be able to compel social media companies to provide evidence of the steps they have taken to prevent underage users from creating accounts. The regulator will also have the authority to request information from app stores and age-verification providers.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said major technology companies were not doing enough to comply with the law, adding that the government was determined to hold them accountable.
Australia’s social media restrictions have attracted international attention, with countries including Britain, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand considering similar measures.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal, however, found limited evidence that the ban had significantly reduced social media use among young people. Researchers found that many teenagers had found ways to bypass the restrictions.
Social media companies have argued that stricter rules could push young people toward less regulated areas of the internet. Some platforms have introduced artificial intelligence tools to estimate users’ ages, while others allow users to verify their age by uploading government-issued identification.
AFP
