Albanese Government to Double Social Media Ban Fines to $99 Million
Synopsis
Australia will double maximum fines for social media companies to A$99 million and give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers as the Albanese government cracks down on platforms failing to enforce the under-16 social media ban.
Key Highlights
- The Albanese government plans to issue maximum fines of A$99 million for social media companies,
- The stricter punishments hit websites that are unable to prevent kids under age 16 from signing and using accounts.
- The eSafety Commissioner will be granted increased enforcement powers in relation to non-compliance.
The Albanese government has planned to increase maximum fines for social media companies that do not enforce Australia’s prohibition on under-16s using their platforms.
Under the changes, companies that breach an order or continue to allow under-16s to create accounts will be fined $49.5 million dollars up to $99 million.
Government Tightens Social Media Rules
The social media ban for under-16s in Australia was introduced on 10 December last year. Over the last five months, nearly 5 million children accounts aged under age-16 have been removed nationwide.
The minister admits that many children still manage to access social media despite those removals. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated Australia is at the forefront of efforts internationally to keep children safe online but in his view large technology companies are still failing to live up to their obligations under law.
The tougher penalties, he said, are appropriate because the government regards enforcement failures as serious given it believes Australia has the leading law in the world.
eSafety Commissioner Gets More Powers
Alongside the fines, the government will give the eSafety commissioner stronger power to require social media companies to produce evidence showing what they have done under 16 from creating or using accounts and bypassing them.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said updates from the eSafety Commissioner were showing some platforms using “tricks straight out of the big tech playbook” and were doing only the least required to comply with their obligations.
The government is also increasing the regulator’s powers and doubling the fines to make sure companies comply with the law, she said in her speech, adding, will not take a step back, we are doubling down.
The eSafety Commissioner is already examining Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for non-compliance of Australia’s social media ban on children under the age of 16.
Source: News Com
Follow Inspirepreneur Magazine for daily global business news.
At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
