Australia investigates tech giants

The Australian internet regulator said it was investigating five of the biggest social media platforms for suspected breaches of its new under-16 ban, its strongest signal yet that companies may face enforcement action under a world-first regime.



The announcement marks the government's first public assessment of compliance with the law that is being studied by policymakers globally.



Weak adherence by the biggest platforms could undermine the momentum of governments considering similar restrictions.



eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Google's YouTube had been flagged for potential noncompliance and the watchdog was gathering evidence for possible penalties, with a decision by mid-year.



Meta and Snap said they were committed to complying with the ban, and a Meta spokesperson added the government's own trial of age-assurance technology found "natural error margins" around the 16 age cutoff.