Australia PM: ‘too many children on social media’, ban too easy to avoid

Australia said on Saturday it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking 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 to A$99 million (US$68 million) from A$49.5 million.

The government reiterated that eSafety is actively investigating the possible non-compliance of five platforms: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, 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 this month said it planned restrictions that go further, as ⁠gaming and live-streaming platforms will also be affected.

“I’m heartened by the shift in conversation and the global momentum we’ve seen since introducing the social media ‌minimum age, but it’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.