Australia is increasing the maximum penalties for breaches of a rule that restricts teen access to social media. Multiple outlets report that the government is doubling the top fine under new legislation, raising the maximum to A$99 million (about US$68 million). The government says social media platforms are not doing enough to comply with the teen social media ban, and that the higher penalty is intended to address what it describes as systemic non-compliance.
The reporting indicates the change targets repeated or widespread breaches of the regulation, rather than isolated incidents. The proposed increase is framed as a strengthening of enforcement to compel platforms to better meet compliance obligations tied to the restrictions on younger users. Details of how the law will be applied are not specified in the provided summaries, but the outlets converge on the same core elements: the government’s rationale, the doubling of the maximum fine, and the new cap at A$99 million for flouting the teen social media ban.
