Tougher Tech Penalties
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced plans to double fines for social media companies that fail to keep under-16s off their platforms at a press conference in Canberra on Monday.
“It’s clear that big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law, and there are still too many children on social media,” he said. “We’ll introduce legislation this afternoon that goes further to ensure social media companies are doing everything within their power to stop children under 16 being on their platforms.”
Fines Set Double
“We’re doubling the fines. We’re giving the eSafety Commissioner world-leading powers to compel them to comply. This is the right thing to do,” Albanese continued. “Next week our nation’s children are heading on their school holidays, and we want them on the football fields, on the netball courts, not on their phones.”
The proposed changes would raise the maximum penalty for systematic non-compliance from A$49.5 million (around US$34 million) to A$99 million (around US$68 million).
Ban Enforcement Gaps
Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions came into force on December 10, 2025, barring children from holding accounts on major platforms and putting the responsibility for enforcement on tech companies.
However, many children are still getting around the ban, with seven in 10 under-16s maintaining ‘access’ to their social media accounts, according to the eSafety Commissioner.
Several other countries are now weighing similar restrictions, including the UK, Malaysia, Spain, France, Greece and the United Arab Emirates.
Parliament of Australia, via Viory
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