The Australian government announced plans to strengthen its landmark social media ban aimed at preventing children under 16 from accessing platforms, amid concerns that technology companies are exploiting loopholes in the law. Communications Minister Anika Wells and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed on Sunday that they will introduce legislation to enhance the enforcement powers of the eSafety Commissioner and double penalties for violations to a maximum of A$99 million.
The proposed changes would grant the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, greater authority to compel social media companies to provide evidence of their efforts to block underage accounts. This move comes as part of a two-pronged strategy to address ongoing challenges with compliance, with Wells stating that the government was no longer willing to tolerate what she described as tech giants “taking the mickey.”
Albanese expressed support for the reforms, noting a global shift in addressing the minimum age for social media use. However, he emphasized that major platforms had yet to do enough to fully comply with Australia’s standards, stating that “there are still too many children on social media.”
One significant concern identified since the legislation’s initial rollout has been the relative ease with which children have circumvented facial identification requirements designed to enforce the age restrictions. This has prompted calls from various stakeholders for more robust safeguards.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and federal opposition communications spokeswoman Senator Sarah Henderson both stressed the harmful impact of social media on children, arguing that it contributes to addiction and diminishes their childhood experience. Henderson called for additional measures such as empowering parents with safety tools for mobile devices, combating algorithm-driven “doom scrolling,” and restricting livestreaming to prevent child exploitation.
Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, acknowledged Australia’s pioneering role globally in setting minimum age standards for social media but cautioned that protections must not remain “porous.” He praised News Corp’s Let Them Be Kids campaign and urged the government to adopt all necessary measures to safeguard children online.
The Coalition refrained from indicating whether it would support the Labor government’s proposed amendments but criticized the ban as an “embarrassing admission of failure.” Henderson described the legislation as “half-baked,” arguing it was “poorly designed, rushed, and badly implemented.”
As the government moves to tighten the legislation, ongoing debate underscores the complexities of regulating social media in ways that effectively protect young users while holding technology companies accountable.