Australia Doubles Fines for Tech Giants Over Social Media Ban, Experts Urge Enforcement
Australia has announced it will double the maximum penalty for platforms violating its social media ban to $99 million, while experts call for stricter enforcement and a digital duty of care to protect under-16s.
The Australian government has unveiled plans to increase fines for social media companies that breach the country's ban on under-16s, raising the maximum penalty to $99 million. Alongside the penalty hike, the eSafety commissioner will receive expanded powers to gather information from platforms. The move comes as research indicates that most teenagers under 16 are still accessing social media despite the restrictions, though the government claims over 5 million accounts have been removed or restricted since the ban took effect on December 10.
Catherine Page Jeffery, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, said the government must shift into "enforcement mode" to hold tech giants accountable. She noted that approximately 80% of under-16s remain active on social media, suggesting the current measures are insufficient. Page Jeffery argued that a digital duty of care, which would place a legal obligation on platforms to ensure user safety, would be a more effective approach than simply banning younger users. Such a policy would require greater transparency around algorithms and proactive harm prevention.
The Greens party has also called for action on algorithms rather than focusing solely on age restrictions. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the government for not addressing the underlying algorithms that drive compulsive content consumption. She said her party would consider supporting the increased fines but would continue to push for algorithmic regulation.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledged that tech companies have not done enough to comply, stating that children's safety is too important to allow companies to evade responsibility. Meanwhile, shadow communications minister Sarah Henderson labeled the penalty increase an "admission of failure," arguing that the ban's implementation has been flawed.
A study by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute found a direct link between heavy social media use and poor mental health, particularly among 12- to 13-year-olds. The researchers emphasized that age-based restrictions alone cannot eliminate risks and recommended holding platforms accountable for harmful features and algorithms. They advocated for Australia's proposed digital duty of care reform.
Law professor Elizabeth Handsley said giving the eSafety commissioner more powers is "worth a try" but questioned whether it would effectively ensure compliance. TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, and Google were contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of writing.
