Australia’s federal government is strengthening enforcement of its world-first ban on social media use by children under 16. The changes expand the powers of the country’s online safety regulator and raise the maximum penalties for breaches, after the ban has been in place for about six months. Federal officials say the measures are intended to increase compliance by large technology companies and better protect children online.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says big tech firms are not doing enough to meet the requirements of the under-16 social media restrictions. Under the announced approach, the regulator gains additional authority to oversee compliance and take action when obligations are not met. The government also increases the maximum penalty for non-compliance, signalling that enforcement will become more stringent.
The announcement follows ongoing scrutiny of how platforms verify users’ ages and how effectively they enforce restrictions across services, with the government framing the update as an accountability step for industry.
