Australia doubles fines for social‑media firms over under‑16 ban

The Australian government announced a new legislative package that will double the maximum penalty for platforms that fail to block users under 16 years old. The cap rises from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars (about 68 million USD) and expands the investigative powers of the eSafety Commissioner, allowing requests for board minutes, internal emails and third‑party age‑verification data.

The measure targets major services including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snap’s Snapchat, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube. Minister for Communications Anika Wells said the law sends a clear message that “the big web‑colossi are not getting away with it.” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirmed that recent checks found about 70 % of under‑16 users were still active on the restricted platforms three months after the ban took effect, despite the government reporting that over 5 million accounts had been removed or limited.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that compliance had been poor and urged Parliament to pass the bill quickly. Opposition MP Jane Hume criticised the original legislation as “clearly incomplete.” The bill, if approved, will give the commissioner authority to pursue legal action against non‑compliant firms and to subpoena documents from age‑verification providers.

The crackdown follows similar moves in the United Kingdom and other countries monitoring Australia’s approach to online safety for minors.