Australia to double fines on Big Tech as children bypass social media ban
Key takeaways
- Canberra says tech platforms are still letting too many children bypass its under-16 social media ban.
- The regulator is investigating possible breaches by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
- “It’s clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Canberra says tech platforms are still letting too many children bypass its under-16 social media ban.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Social media apps are displayed on a smartphone [File: Hollie Adams/Reuters Illustration]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026Australia says it will double fines on social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of dodging the spirit of its under-16 ban.
The government said on Saturday that new legislation would raise the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars ($31m to $68m) and give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to force platforms to comply.