Australia is increasing the financial penalties for social media platforms that continue to allow underage users, following concerns over widespread evasion of restrictions.
The new legislation will raise the maximum fine for systemic breaches to Aus$99 million ($68 million), and it empowers the eSafety online watchdog with enhanced powers to address non-compliance by platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.
The government noted that big tech companies are not adequately complying with the law, resulting in significant numbers of children still using social media. The changes aim to reflect the seriousness with which the government takes any failure to adhere to the regulations.
Underage users have found ways around the restrictions by registering older accounts, setting up fake profiles, or logging into private browsers.
The effectiveness of Australia’s ban is a point of interest for many countries considering similar measures. A recent study in the British Medical Journal evaluated the impact of the Australian restriction on social media use among young people and found insufficient evidence that it had made much difference.
Source: Original report
About the Author
