politics
Australia to double penalty for social media ban breaches to $99m as tech giants accused of ‘not doing enough’
Prime minister Anthony Albanese says too many children still on platforms but he is ‘heartened’ by world-leading law
TL;DR
- Australia is doubling the penalty for breaches of its youth social media ban from $49.5m to $99m.
- The government argues that tech companies are not adequately preventing children under 16 from accessing social media.
- The eSafety commissioner's information-gathering powers will be strengthened to compel companies to provide evidence of compliance.
- Research suggests over 80% of under-16s are still using social media despite the ban.
- The proposed reforms aim to hold Big Tech accountable for upholding the law and protecting children online.