Australia Boosts Penalties for Tech Companies Over Social Media Rules for Kids
Australia is planning to increase the maximum penalty for technology companies that do not follow new rules banning children under 16 from social media. The current penalty of A$49.5 million will double to A$99 million (about $68 million) due to concerns that the existing measures are not working effectively.
In addition to the increased fines, the government intends to give the eSafety Commissioner, the country’s internet safety regulator, more authority to demand proof from social media platforms about how they are handling age restrictions. This will include checking information with trusted third-party sources.
The eSafety Commissioner is examining possible violations by five major social media platforms: Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Google’s YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.
“Big tech is not doing enough to follow the law,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Despite reports that over five million accounts belonging to underage users have been shut down, recent research suggests many children are still active on these platforms. A study from the British Medical Journal found that 85% of Australian kids aged 12 to 15 continued to use social media three months after the ban, easily bypassing weak age verification measures.
Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized social media companies for using tactics that seem designed to meet the minimum requirements without genuine compliance. The government hopes that by enforcing stricter penalties, these companies will make a sincere effort to keep young people safe online.
In a separate development, Reddit is challenging the prohibition in Australia’s highest court on free speech grounds, and the government has committed to defending their position.
