Australia Doubles Fines for Tech Giants Over Under-16 Social Media Ban

Australia is set to double the maximum penalty for tech companies that fail to enforce its social media ban for children under 16 as evidence reveals the restriction has had minimal impact.

Under the proposed changes, the maximum fine for systematic non-compliance will increase from A$49.5 million to A$99 million ($68 million). The government will also grant its internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, broader powers to demand evidence from social media platforms regarding their age-restriction efforts and verify this data with third-party providers.

The eSafety Commissioner is currently investigating potential breaches by five major platforms: Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Google’s YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.

"Big tech is not doing enough to comply with the law," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated. While the government claims over five million underage accounts have been deactivated, recent studies indicate widespread circumvention. A British Medical Journal study found that 85% of Australian children aged 12 to 15 remained active on social media three months after the ban, easily bypassing weak age checks.

Communications Minister Anika Wells accused social media giants of employing "tricks straight out of the big tech playbook" to do the bare minimum. The government hopes the tougher penalties will force genuine compliance to better protect youth.

Meanwhile, Reddit is independently challenging the ban in Australia's highest court on free speech grounds, a lawsuit the government has vowed to defend.