A new bill was introduced to the Australian parliament on June 29, aiming to tighten enforcement of the ban on social media use by children under 16 and expand the powers of the internet regulator, Reuters reports.

The government was compelled to act after data from Australia's eSafety online safety regulator revealed that seven out of ten minors still had accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok six months after the ban was imposed.

If passed, the bill would double the fines for platforms that fail to comply with the ban—from 49.5 million Australian dollars to 99 million Australian dollars ($68.2 million USD).

Additionally, the eSafety commissioner would gain the authority to request documents such as board meeting minutes and internal emails from companies owning the platforms.

Communications Minister Annika Wells accused companies of deliberately failing to comply and using “tricks.” “Today Australia is sending a signal to these companies: we see what you're doing, and we're not here to play games. If you want to do business in Australia, you abide by Australian law. If you don't, you will face the consequences,” she said while presenting the bill in parliament.

Australia became the first country in the world to fully ban social media for children. The law took effect in December last year, requiring ten major platforms—including TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Facebook, and Instagram—to verify users' ages and restrict access to those under 16. Officials stated the law aims to protect children from negative effects of social media, ranging from addiction to online bullying.

Similar measures are being considered in several European countries, including France, Spain, and Denmark. Canada and Turkey also plan to restrict social media use.

In June, the UK announced a complete ban on social media for children under 16. The UAE became the first Arab country to ban children under 15 from creating accounts, using platforms, posting content, commenting, or joining groups.

Source: www.gazeta.uz