"Many minors still using platforms by bypassing age verification"

"Legal action against companies being prepared"

Reference image. [Getty Images Bank]
Reference image. [Getty Images Bank]

Australia, the first country to ban minors from holding social media accounts, is pushing to expand its enforcement measures — including legal action against platform companies and new legislation.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told parliament on June 25 that the government is reviewing ways to strengthen the social media ban, according to AP and other outlets.

In an interview with public broadcaster ABC the previous day, Albanese said the government would focus on empowering the eSafety Commissioner, the online safety regulator responsible for enforcing the ban. "What we want to do is make sure the legislation is as strong as possible and can withstand any legal challenges that may be mounted," he said, adding that the government is examining whether Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has all the authority she needs.

He also said the government would pursue a "duty of digital care" bill that would hold social media platforms and other online services liable for foreseeable harms caused by their content and algorithms.

The push comes six months after Australia introduced the ban on social media accounts for those under 16, with signs that many young people are still accessing the platforms.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that 85 percent of 408 Australian teenagers aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect.

About two-thirds of those surveyed said they had bypassed age verification by providing false information or submitting selfies in which they appeared older — by wearing makeup, for example — to be recognized as 16 or older.

In response, authorities are preparing legal action against the companies under provisions that allow fines of up to 52.4 billion won (about $33 million) for social media platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent users under 16 from holding accounts.

In March, eSafety Commissioner Inman Grant announced she had launched investigations into Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Google's YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok on charges that they violated the law by failing to take sufficient measures to block minors from their platforms.


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