Australia to Double Fines for Violations of Social Media Age Restrictions

The Australian government announced on June 28 that it would significantly strengthen penalties for violating its pioneering law that prohibits social media use by individuals under the age of 16. The maximum fine imposed on non-compliant platform operators will be doubled from the previous AUD 49.5 million to AUD 99 million (approximately USD 68 million).

This decision stems from the perception that social media companies have not taken sufficient measures to comply with the law. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated in a press release, “It is clear that Big Tech has not made enough efforts to comply with the law,” emphasizing, “This change reflects how seriously we take violations of our world-leading legislation by social enterprises.”

Doubling the Maximum Fine and Its Background

The law, enacted in December 2025, prohibits users under 16 from opening accounts on major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. While high fines were initially established for violations, the government determined that further strengthening deterrents was necessary.

In addition to doubling the fines, the Australian government has granted new enforcement powers to the eSafety Commissioner, the regulatory body for online safety. Julie Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, will now be able to demand that platform operators provide evidence on how they prevent users under 16 from creating accounts.

A particularly noteworthy point is the expanded scope of evidence collection. eSafety will have the authority to gather compliance-related evidence from third parties, such as age verification providers and app store operators. This measure aims to make it more difficult for platform operators to misrepresent their efforts.

Strengthening Enforcement Powers

With these new powers, Commissioner Grant is actively investigating the compliance status of various platforms. According to the government press release, five companies—Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube—are currently under investigation for potential non-compliance.

Since the law came into effect in December, the government has reported that over 5 million accounts involving users under 16 have already been deleted, deactivated, or restricted. However, several studies have raised questions about the law’s effectiveness, despite these numbers.

Debates on Effectiveness

In April, a survey conducted by the charity Molly Rose Foundation revealed that 61% of more than 1,000 children aged 12 to 15 were still able to access social media. Furthermore, a recent study published by the University of Newcastle reported that over 85% of Australian teenagers under 16 continue to use social media apps.

These figures suggest that, despite the technical measures implemented by platform operators to ensure compliance, minors are finding alternative ways to circumvent the regulations, such as falsifying their age or using their parents’ accounts. This highlights a significant gap between the law’s intent and its practical outcomes.

The act of circumventing regulations bears structural similarities to exploiting vulnerabilities in AI and other systems. As long as there are actors willing to exploit such vulnerabilities, complete containment will remain challenging. Collaborative defense and monitoring mechanisms, such as those seen in initiatives to protect open-source software from AI vulnerabilities, may also become necessary in ensuring compliance with these regulations.

Global Implications

Australia’s move to double fines may influence social media regulations worldwide. As countries like those in the European Union with the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the United Kingdom with the Online Safety Bill increase their focus on platform accountability, financial penalties as a deterrent present a clear direction.

In Japan, discussions on regulating children’s internet use continue, but no age-restriction laws similar to Australia’s have been introduced so far. Australia’s case serves as a crucial reference point for Japan in considering future legislative measures and strategies for platform operators.

For platform operators, the doubling of fines represents a significant cost increase that cannot be ignored. The AUD 99 million penalty is a substantial amount, even for tech giants like Meta and Google. These companies will likely face pressure to implement more robust age verification systems and stricter management of accounts for minors.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, the doubling of fines will exert direct pressure on Big Tech companies. They are likely to see a significant increase in compliance costs and will accelerate the adoption of stricter age verification technologies. In particular, more invasive methods such as facial recognition, biometric data, and integration with government-issued IDs may be considered. However, there are concerns that such measures could come at the expense of user privacy in the effort to avoid fine-related risks.

From a long-term perspective, the success or failure of this law will influence the trajectory of regulatory models in other countries. If the law is proven effective in ensuring online safety for children, it could pave the way for similar regulations worldwide. However, as previously mentioned, if questions about its effectiveness persist, it could demonstrate the limitations of relying solely on technology to ensure compliance and potentially shift the focus of regulations from “outcome responsibility” to “best-effort obligations.” This legislation highlights both the challenges of relying on technology for regulatory enforcement and the inherent dilemmas of law enforcement.

Finally, we leave our readers with one question: Can a USD 68 million fine truly function as a deterrent for platforms that earn billions of dollars annually?

References

• Australia doubles the maximum penalty for its social media ban - Engadget — Published on 2026-06-28
• Related: Official announcement from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner