The penalty could now reach up to 99 million AUD, equivalent to $68 million.
Australia has taken a bold step as the first nation to impose a social media ban on individuals under 16 years old, and it is now ramping up its regulations. In a recent announcement, the Australian government revealed plans to increase the maximum fine for social media companies that violate its minimum age requirement, raising it from 49.5 million AUD to 99 million AUD (over $68 million).
“It’s evident that major tech firms aren’t doing enough to comply with the law,” stated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “These adjustments underscore our commitment to treating any lapse by social media companies in adhering to our pioneering legislation with the utmost seriousness.”
In addition to the heightened fines, the Australian government is empowering its eSafety Commissioner, Julie Grant, with enhanced enforcement authority. The commissioner now has the ability to require social media companies to prove how they are preventing children under 16 from creating accounts. Significantly, the agency can obtain compliance evidence from third parties, including age verification services and app store providers. The country’s online safety body also mentioned it is “actively probing potential non-compliance” involving platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
Since the implementation of the ban in December, the government claims to have removed, deactivated, or restricted over five million accounts belonging to users under 16. However, recent studies and surveys indicate that the ban may not be very effective. A survey conducted by the charity Molly Rose Foundation revealed that 61 percent of over 1,000 respondents aged 12 to 15 still had access to social media. Furthermore, a report from the University of Newcastle suggested that more than 85 percent of teens under 16 in Australia continue to use social media applications.
