Australia Doubles Fines for Tech Firms Violating Child Social Media Ban

Australia announced on Saturday that it will increase the maximum fines imposed on technology companies found violating its unprecedented ban on children’s use of social media. This decision comes as evidence grows that the ban has had little effect on children’s social media usage.

The government will also enhance the information-gathering authority granted to the eSafety Commissioner, the internet regulatory body, enabling it to compel social media companies to provide proof of measures taken to prevent individuals under 16 years old from creating accounts.

Under the new amendments, the maximum fine for repeated non-compliance with the ban will rise from 49.5 million Australian dollars to 99 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 68 million US dollars.

The Australian internet regulator stated that social media companies collectively blocked about five million accounts belonging to teenagers in the country.

The government reaffirmed that the eSafety Commissioner is currently conducting intensive investigations into potential non-compliance by five platforms: Instagram and Facebook, both owned by Meta; YouTube, owned by Google; Snapchat, owned by Snap Inc.; and TikTok.

Requests for comment regarding Australia’s plans sent outside official business hours to Google, Meta, Snap, and TikTok have not yet received responses.