Australia announced it will double fines for social media companies that fail to keep children off their platforms, accusing Big Tech of evading the spirit of its under-16 ban. The government said new legislation raises the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars ($31m to $68m) and gives the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to enforce compliance.

The regulator is investigating possible breaches by Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. 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."

The ban, effective December 10, made Australia a global test case for restricting children's social media access. The UK, Indonesia, UAE and New Zealand are among those considering similar restrictions. However, children continue to evade rules using adult accounts, fake profiles, or private browsers.

A peer-reviewed evaluation in the British Medical Journal found "insufficient evidence" that the ban significantly reduced social media use among youth, noting "substantial circumvention." The government claims over 5 million under-16 accounts have been blocked.

Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized platforms for "doing the bare minimum" and adopting "tricks straight out of the Big Tech playbook." The new powers allow the eSafety Commissioner to demand documents from platforms, age-checking companies, and app stores. Platforms must demonstrate "reasonable steps" to exclude under-16s.

Source: www.aljazeera.com