Meta, YouTube, and TikTok are under investigation by the regulator. The platforms are not using enough age verification and age assurance, according to the regulatory authority. The government accuses the platforms of using a “big-tech playbook” to circumvent the ban. The Australian internet regulator is investigating five of the largest social media platforms for alleged violations of its new under 16 ban, signaling that companies could face enforcement actions in an unprecedented global regime. This announcement marks the first public assessment by the government of compliance with the law being studied by policymakers worldwide. Failure by the largest platforms to comply could hinder governments considering similar restrictions. Meta, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Google’s YouTube were flagged for potential non-compliance, and the watchdog is gathering evidence for possible sanctions, a decision expected by mid-year. According to Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, some social media platforms are not doing enough to comply with Australian law despite initial measures. The platforms could face fines of up to $49.5 million in case of non-compliance, affecting their reputation if found guilty of breaking the law. The pressure for greater regulation of these platforms has increased globally following court rulings in the US that social media companies were negligent in designing addictive algorithms harming children. The Australian eSafety agency initially praised the ban’s success, stating platforms removed 4.7 million suspected underage accounts in the first weeks and prevented the activation of 300,000 other minor accounts. However, the regulator noted rule compliance gaps where platforms fail to properly verify age, allow repeated age assurance tests until a child achieves a result above 16, and do not provide good avenues to report minor accounts. It is likely many Australian children under 16 could have created accounts on age-restricted social media platforms by simply declaring they were 16 or older. Nearly a third of parents reported their child under 16 had at least one social media account after the ban, with two-thirds saying the platform did not request the child’s age. Communications Minister Anika Wells accused platforms of using tactics “straight out of the big-tech playbook” to undermine Australian law. (1 USD = 1.4599 Australian dollars)
