Australia will double the penalties for technology companies that fail to adhere to its social media restrictions for children under the age of 16.
According to Financial Times, the government raised the maximum fine for systematic violations to A$99 million (about $68 million), up from A$49.5 million.
The move comes as concerns grow that the ban has not worked as intended and many teenagers still access social media platforms.
The government also expanded the powers of its online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner.
The regulator now commands stronger authority to demand evidence from social media companies about the steps they take to block underage users.
Officials said the changes aim to ensure better enforcement of one of the world’s strictest youth social media laws.
Why did Australia decide to increase penalties?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government saw limited compliance from major social media platforms. He said companies had not done enough to stop underage access.
“I’m heartened by the shift in conversation and the global momentum we’ve seen since introducing the social media minimum age,” Albanese said, as reported by Reuters. “But it’s clear big tech is not doing enough to comply with the law. There are still too many children on social media,” he added.
Authorities confirmed that the regulator continues to investigate possible violations by several major companies, including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Google’s YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. The government said these platforms remain under close scrutiny.
Australia introduced the ban six months ago. Since then, officials said more than five million accounts belonging to users under 16 have been removed or restricted.
However, government reviews suggested that enforcement gaps still exist.
Are teenagers still bypassing the ban?
Multiple studies indicated that many teenagers continue to use social media despite the restrictions.
A study published in the British Medical Journal found that 85% of Australian teenagers aged 12 to 15 still used social media three months after the ban began, reported Reuters.
The study also found that many underage users bypassed restrictions by self-declaring their age as over 16.
Some platforms also accepted simple selfie-based age checks, which experts said remained easy to trick.
Industry groups have also raised concerns about enforcement. A tech industry body said platforms had not fully used available tools to check age properly and had relied on weak systems.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said companies had not taken strong enough action. She said firms used weak compliance methods to meet legal requirements, reported Reuters.
“Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,” Wells said.
The updated law will also allow regulators to collect information from third-party companies such as app stores and age-verification providers.
Officials said this step will help verify claims made by social media companies about their compliance efforts.
Meanwhile, Reddit has challenged the law in Australia’s highest court. The platform stated that the restrictions violate free speech principles. The government said it will defend the law in court.
