Australia’s eSafety Commissioner is investigating big tech companies for not complying with the Federal Government’s under-16 social media ban.
The platforms facing fines of up to $49.5 million include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Julie Inman-Grant has released a report alleging non-compliance with the ban.
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The allegations include allowing under-16 users to repeatedly attempt age assurance until they pass, not doing enough to prevent underage users whose accounts have been deactivated from immediately opening a new one, and ineffective and inaccessible pathways for parents and others to report underage users.
The Albanese Government has put social media giants on notice — if you want to do business in Australia, you must play by the rules.
“The kind of tactics we’re seeing deployed by social media platforms to undermine Australia’s world-leading law are right out of the big tech playbook,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said.
“If eSafety finds these companies have systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations, I expect the Commissioner to throw the book at them.
“All of the platforms covered by our social media minimum age requirement said they would respect the law.
“If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws.”
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