Australia's internet safety watchdog is stepping up its examination of prominent social media platforms, signaling forthcoming enforcement actions regarding the nation's groundbreaking prohibition on users under the age of 16. Regulators have expressed apprehension that some platforms might not be adequately adhering to the new legislation, despite initial compliance measures.
Officials are currently gathering evidence and foresee the imposition of penalties by the middle of the year. Key platforms such as Google, Snap, and TikTok have either declined to comment or referred to previous statements on their compliance strategies. Meta, for its part, has highlighted the industry-wide challenge of accurate age verification and advocates for stronger age checks at the app store level, while continuing to remove underage accounts.
Despite the removal of approximately 4.7 million suspected underage accounts and the blocking of an additional 300,000 sign-ups, significant enforcement gaps remain. The regulator has identified various deficiencies, including lax age verification during registration, repeated verification attempts, and limited application of behavioral age estimation tools. Many children are reportedly still accessing platforms by providing false birthdates, and parents continue to observe their under-16 children using social media platforms that often do not even request age information. Non-compliance could result in fines up to A$49.5 million ($34 million) and significant reputational damage for companies.
This heightened scrutiny in Australia has garnered international attention, with other countries now considering similar age restrictions. Following Australia's lead in December, France approved a restriction for users under 15 in January, and the UK is consulting on similar limits. Denmark, Greece, Spain, and Ireland are also exploring comparable measures, primarily focusing on users under 15 or 16, reflecting a growing global consensus on the need for stronger protections for minors online. The push for greater accountability in the digital sphere underscores a collective commitment to safeguarding young individuals, promoting responsible technology use, and ensuring that platforms prioritize user well-being above all else.