**Australia to Increase Fines on Social Media Companies Over Child Access Issues**
Australia has announced plans to double the fines imposed on social media companies that fail to effectively prevent children from accessing their platforms. This decision follows concerns that many children are circumventing a ban on social media use for those under the age of 16, which the government implemented in December 2025.
On June 27, 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that the new legislation would raise the maximum penalty for systemic breaches from 49.5 million to 99 million Australian dollars (approximately $31 million to $68 million). The government aims to strengthen the enforcement capabilities of the eSafety Commissioner, who will now have enhanced powers to ensure compliance among social media platforms.
The Australian government has accused major tech companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, of not doing enough to adhere to the law. "It’s clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media,” Albanese remarked, emphasizing the seriousness of the issue.
The under-16 ban has positioned Australia as a global leader in efforts to regulate children's access to social media, with other countries such as the United Kingdom, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand observing the situation closely as they consider similar measures.
Despite the ban, many children have reportedly found ways to bypass the restrictions. They have been using accounts registered to older individuals, creating fake profiles, or accessing platforms through private browsing modes. A study published in the British Medical Journal indicated that there is "insufficient evidence" to suggest that the ban has significantly reduced social media usage among young people. Researchers surveyed over 400 children before and three months after the ban was enacted, discovering substantial circumvention of the rules.
The Australian government claims that more than five million accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 have been blocked. However, Communications Minister Anika Wells expressed concerns that social media platforms are not doing enough to prevent underage access. "Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the Big Tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by," she stated.
Under the new regulations, the eSafety Commissioner will have the authority to demand documentation and evidence from social media platforms, age-checking companies, and app stores. Platforms will be required to demonstrate that they have taken "reasonable steps" to prevent access by users under 16. Some companies are currently employing artificial intelligence to estimate user ages, while others allow users to verify their age using government-issued identification.
The Australian government’s initiative reflects a growing global concern regarding the impact of social media on children and adolescents. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, regulatory bodies worldwide are grappling with how to protect younger users from potential harms associated with social media usage.
As Australia moves forward with its revised legislation, it remains to be seen how effectively these measures will be implemented and whether they will lead to a significant decrease in underage access to social media platforms.