Australia toughens kids’ social media ban, doubles potential penalties

Australia will double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a ground-breaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.



The government will also strengthen the information-gathering powers of its internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, allowing it to compel social media companies to provide evidence of what they have done to stop under-16s from getting an account.



Under the changes, the maximum penalty for systematic failures to uphold the ban jumps $68 million from $34 million.



The government reiterated that eSafety is actively investigating the possible non-compliance of five platforms: Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, Google’s YouTube, Snap’s Snapchat and TikTok.



Australia’s six-month-old ban is being closely watched by many nations seeking to emulate it due to concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental and physical health.



Britain in June said it planned restrictions that go further as gaming and live-streaming platforms will also be affected.