Australia pledges tougher enforcement of social media ban for teens
The Australian government is increasing the powers of the eSafety Commissioner and doubling fines for tech companies to enforce the social media ban for under-16s. Prime Minister Albanese vowed to bullet-proof these laws following evidence that the ban has had little impact. The regulator is currently investigating five platforms for possible non-compliance.
What changed
The government is shifting to an enforcement phase by doubling penalties and expanding regulator powers.
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Australia Strengthens Enforcement of Under-16 Social Media Ban
confidence 95%The Australian government is increasing the powers of the eSafety Commissioner and doubling fines for tech companies to enforce the social media ban for under-16s. Prime Minister Albanese vowed to bullet-proof these laws following evidence that the ban has had little impact. The regulator is currently investigating five platforms for possible non-compliance.
What's confirmed:
- The Australian government is doubling fines for tech firms regarding the under-16 social media ban.
- The eSafety Commissioner is investigating possible non-compliance by TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.
- A study indicates that 80 per cent of Australian children under 16 are using social media despite the ban.
- Prime Minister Albanese intends to strengthen the powers of the eSafety Commissioner.
Still unconfirmed:
- Doubled penalties will have little effect if platforms are not held accountable for the content they carry.