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Australia introduced new legislation in Parliament on Monday to strengthen enforcement of its under-16 social media ban and give its internet regulator more power to pursue tech giants in court for non-compliance.
The move comes as evidence suggests children are still able to access the platforms six months after the world-first restrictions took effect in December.
Australia’s implementation and enforcement of the ban is being closely watched by dozens of countries who have either created or committed to creating their own such laws.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there were still too many children on social media and tech firms were not doing enough to comply with the ban.
“We’re calling time on the social media companies today and doubling down on the changes that we have made and that we’re prepared to make,” he told reporters in Canberra.
“Today, we’ll introduce legislation this afternoon that goes further to ensure social media companies are doing everything within their power to stop children under 16 being on their platforms.”
The internet regulator, eSafety, is investigating possible non-compliance by five platforms: Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Google’s YouTube.
There was no immediate comment from Meta, Google and Snapchat. TikTok declined to comment.
Albanese called on the opposition coalition to back the bill, noting the original policy passed with bipartisan support.
Increased penalties proposed
The changes, announced on Saturday, would double maximum penalties to $99 million ($96.5 million Cdn) from $49.5 million ($48.5 million Cdn).
They also give the eSafety commissioner power to compel documents such as company board minutes and internal emails, ensuring legal cases being built against platforms failing to comply are as “strong as possible,” said Communications Minister Anika Wells.
Introducing the bill to Parliament, Wells accused the firms of deliberately failing to comply and using “dirty tricks” to undermine the ban.
“Today Australia is sending a message to those companies: we see what you’re doing, we are not here to play games. If you want to do business in Australia, you will comply with Australian laws. And if you don’t, you will face the consequences,” she said.
Canada’s proposed social media ban for kids under 16 aims to protect minors from online harms, but Dalhousie University professor Michael Karanikolas tells CBC’s Tom Murphy that the bill could raise privacy concerns and infringe on constitutional rights for younger users.
Sydney resident Bill Wright said he was glad the government was taking more action to hold social media companies accountable.
“We may be leading the world in some of the problem-solving but obviously we’ve got a lot more to do,” he said.
“The money that we are going to be trying to fine companies for not doing the right thing still may be not enough.”
The new legislation requires parliamentary approval before it takes effect.
Flurry of measures around the world
While Australia was an early mover on the issue, several governments around the world have introduced similar legislation this year or are preparing to do so through legislative committees.
Earlier this month in Ottawa, the Liberal government tabled Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, which would force social media platforms to restrict accounts for children under 16 unless the platforms can implement adequate safeguards to protect them.
Britain’s Labour government under Keir Starmer announced its proposal on June 15. Starmer announced his intention to resign days later, though polls in Britain indicate significant support for doing something to shield under-16s from social media use.
U.S. lawmakers for years have declined to pass comprehensive legislation regulating social media, and current proposals in the Senate and House of Representative don’t appear to be in alignment.
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A proposed House bill agreed to in the chamber last week does not include a “duty of care,” desired by many senators. Such language would require companies to design social media platforms with children’s safety in mind.
In light of the struggles at the federal level, at least 20 U.S. states enacted laws last year addressing social media use by children, according to the nonpartisan National Conference of State Legislatures, although some of the laws face legal challenges.
Snap’s Snapchat, Meta’s Instagram, Google’s YouTube and TikTok are the most popular digital platforms for those aged 13-17, according to a Pew Research Center report studying American teens and published in December 2025.
