Australia is escalating its enforcement of the social media minimum age law. The government announced it will double the maximum penalty for platforms in breach of the ban to 99 million dollars.
The eSafety Commissioner will gain new powers to compel companies to provide evidence of their compliance steps. This comes as investigations continue into five major platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
Since the law took effect in December 2025, preventing children under 16 from accessing ten key platforms, compliance has been challenging. Reports indicate many young users still have access to the banned apps.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated, "It's clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law. There are still too many children on social media."
Communications Minister Anika Wells said platforms are "adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by."