Australia Doubles Fines on Tech Giants Over Underage Social Media Use Enforcement Failures

The Australian government has announced a significant increase in penalties for technology companies that fail to prevent children under 16 from using social media platforms. The maximum fine will rise from approximately 121 million shekels to about 243 million shekels (around 250 million shekels), reflecting the government's frustration with enforcement failures. This move follows a study revealing that 85% of teenagers aged 12 to 15 continue to access social media despite the ban implemented six months ago.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal, found that two-thirds of these youths bypass restrictions by falsifying their age or uploading selfies that trick age verification systems. In response, Australia plans to expand the powers of its internet regulator, enabling it to demand evidence from companies about their prevention measures and to collect data from third parties such as app stores and age verification providers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized tech companies for insufficient compliance with the law, while Communications Minister Anika Wells accused platforms of using "tricks" and doing the bare minimum to meet requirements. Authorities are currently investigating five major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. Meanwhile, Reddit has filed a lawsuit in the Australian High Court, arguing that the ban infringes on freedom of expression, with the government pledging to defend the legislation.

Since the ban's introduction, over 5 million accounts belonging to users under 16 have been disabled or restricted, but the government insists that stricter enforcement by tech giants is necessary to protect minors online.