Australia doubles fines for social media firms over under-16 ban enforcement
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Australia doubles fines for social media firms over under-16 ban enforcement
Australia doubles tech fines to 60 million to enforce child social media ban
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Australia has doubled fines for social media companies that fail to enforce its under-16 ban, raising maximum penalties to €60 million as the government admits the original policy has fallen short of expectations. The move, announced on 28 June 2026, marks a decisive shift from content restrictions to punitive enforcement against platforms such as Meta, TikTok and X, which critics say have repeatedly skirted age-verification rules with minimal consequences.
Under the amended rules, regulators can now levy fines of up to €60 million per systematic violation—twice the previous €30 million cap—while also expanding oversight powers to audit algorithms and data-handling practices. “The voluntary approach has not worked,” said a spokesperson for the Australian eSafety Commissioner, whose office will conduct quarterly compliance checks starting this quarter . The government’s own data, cited by *Le Monde*, shows that fewer than 12% of under-16 accounts were removed within six months of the ban’s introduction in December 2025, prompting the tougher stance .
Political leaders across the spectrum have framed the escalation as a necessary correction. “We cannot keep asking tech giants to police themselves when their business models depend on endless engagement,” argued Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth in a parliamentary statement released today . The opposition echoed the call, with shadow minister James Stevens telling *Die Süddeutsche Zeitung* that “€60 million is still a rounding error for Silicon Valley, but it sends a signal that Australia will not tolerate wilful negligence” .
Public sentiment appears to be turning against the tech industry as well. A *Guardian* poll published today found 64% of Australians now support age-verification bans, up from 51% in January 2026, with 42% saying they would support a complete platform ban for under-18s if enforcement remained weak . Child-safety advocates, however, warn that stricter penalties alone will not address the core issue. “Fines don’t teach digital literacy,” cautioned the head of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, whose 2025 report documented a 300% rise in cyberbullying cases among 13- to 15-year-olds .
The government has pledged to publish quarterly enforcement reports beginning in September 2026, with the possibility of further escalation if compliance remains below 80%. For now, the message is clear: Canberra has abandoned soft-power appeals in favour of hard cash.
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