Australia is cracking down harder on tech firms that fail to block under-16s from social media.
On Saturday, June 27, the government said it will double maximum penalties to A$99 million for systematic breaches, up from A$49.5 million.
It will also give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to compel Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok to prove how they’re preventing kids from joining.
Despite a six-month-old ban, a British Medical Journal study found 85% of 12-15-year-olds were still online, often by faking age with a selfie.
More than 5 million under-16 accounts have been removed so far.PM Anthony Albanese says “big tech is not doing enough,” while Reddit is challenging the law in court on free speech grounds.
