Australia Increases Maximum Penalty for Social Media Ban

Australia has taken a pioneering step by being the first country to enforce a social media ban for users under 16 years old. Now, the Australian government is intensifying its approach by announcing a significant increase in penalties for social media companies that violate its age restrictions. The maximum fine will increase from 49.5 million to 99 million AUD, which translates to over $68 million.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing the law, stating, “It’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law. These changes reflect the seriousness with which we take any failure by social media companies to comply with our world-leading law.”

To raising the penalty limits, the Australian government is empowering its eSafety Commissioner, Julie Grant, with enhanced enforcement capabilities. The commissioner now has the authority to require social media companies to provide proof of their efforts to prevent users under 16 from creating accounts. This includes the ability to collect evidence of compliance from third parties, such as age verification services and app store providers, as outlined in the press release. The country’s online safety agency has also announced ongoing investigations into potential non-compliance by major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

Despite the government’s claims of more than five million accounts belonging to users under 16 being removed, deactivated, or restricted since the ban was implemented in December, recent studies and surveys suggest that the ban may not be as effective as intended. A poll conducted in April by the Molly Rose Foundation revealed that 61 percent of over 1,000 children aged 12 to 15 still had access to social media. a study from the University of Newcastle highlighted that more than 85 percent of Australian teens under 16 continue to use social media applications.