Five social media giants flagged over under-16 access in Australia
- Mar 31
- 1 min read
Major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube could face heavy penalties after Australia’s online safety regulator raised serious concerns.
The eSafety Commissioner found “major gaps” in how these companies are enforcing the under-16 social media ban introduced last year.
Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said while some steps have been taken, many platforms are still falling short of legal requirements.
The report highlights several issues:
Children being allowed to repeatedly attempt age verification
Weak systems stopping under-16s from creating accounts
Poor tools for reporting underage users
Platforms prompting age checks even after users declare they are underage
Although some accounts have been removed, regulators say the overall approach is not strong enough.
Authorities are now shifting towards enforcement. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to $49.5 million, along with other legal actions.
Companies have been formally notified. Meta says it is working with regulators but argues that verifying age online remains a complex challenge, especially around the 16-year threshold.
The regulator warns companies must act quickly or risk serious legal and reputational consequences.
Source : 9News
Stay tuned with Aus News Lanka – the leading platform for news for Australians.
Comments