Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are under investigation for potential non-compliance with Australiaโs world-first social media ban for under-16s, with the eSafety Commissioner flagging โmajor gapsโ in how platforms are enforcing the law.
The watchdogโs first compliance report, released Tuesday, found that while platforms had taken some initial steps – including deactivating more than 4.7 million accounts in the banโs first two days – significant problems persist nearly four months after the laws took effect.
Among the concerns: platforms were allowing children who had already declared themselves underage to repeatedly attempt age verification, failing to prevent new account creation, and lacking effective reporting mechanisms for underage users.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the regulator was shifting to an โenforcement stance,โ with platforms facing civil penalties of up to $49.5 million for non-compliance.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said she expected eSafety to โthrow the bookโ at any company that had systematically failed to meet its obligations.
The government last week also moved to broaden the banโs scope to capture platforms with features like infinite scroll, likes and disappearing stories.
More to come
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David Swan is the technology editor for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously technology editor for The Australian newspaper.Connect via X or email.
