Social Media Platforms Under Fire as Australia Tightens Child Safety Law
News Desk
28 June 2026, 13:47
Australia is moving to strengthen its landmark social media restrictions for children by proposing significantly higher penalties for technology companies that fail to prevent users under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms.
The government announced on Saturday that it plans to double the maximum penalty for systemic failures to enforce the law—from A$49.5 million to A$99 million (approximately US$68 million). The proposed changes also give the country's eSafety Commissioner broader powers to investigate whether social media companies are taking adequate steps to block underage users.
According to the Australian government, the regulator will be able to require platforms to provide evidence of the measures they have implemented to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts. The amendments would also allow the regulator to collect information from third parties, including age-verification providers and app stores, to verify platforms' compliance claims.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there is growing international support for stronger online protections for children but argued that technology companies must do more to enforce the law.
The eSafety Commissioner is currently investigating potential non-compliance by five major platforms: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.
Studies Suggest Many Teenagers Still Access Social Media
The proposed amendments come as new research indicates that many Australian teenagers continue to use social media despite the restrictions.
According to the government, more than five million accounts belonging to users under 16 have been deactivated or restricted since the law came into effect. However, a study published this week in the British Medical Journal found that 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban was introduced.
The study, which surveyed 408 adolescents, found that many underage users continued accessing platforms by falsely declaring they were over 16 or by using selfie-based age verification systems that approved their accounts.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said some technology companies were doing only the minimum required to comply with the legislation and that stronger enforcement powers were necessary to ensure the law is effective.
The government has not yet announced when the proposed amendments will be introduced to Parliament.
Separately, Reddit has challenged Australia's social media legislation in the country's highest court, arguing that the restrictions infringe on freedom of expression. The Australian government has said it will defend the law.
Australia's tougher enforcement measures reflect a broader global trend, with governments increasingly scrutinising how technology companies protect children online and whether existing age-verification systems are sufficient to prevent underage access.
