In a bid to enforce its under-16 social media ban, the Australian government has announced plans to double fines for non-compliant companies, increasing the maximum penalty to 99 million Australian dollars. This move comes after reports of children bypassing the ban by using accounts registered to older individuals, creating fake profiles, or accessing platforms through private browsers. The eSafety Commissioner will be granted stronger powers to force platforms to comply, including the ability to demand documents and evidence from social media companies, age-checking services, and app stores. Platforms will be required to demonstrate they have taken reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from accessing their services, such as using artificial intelligence to estimate user ages or verifying ages with government-issued IDs. The government's decision reflects its commitment to holding social media giants accountable, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stating that Big Tech companies are not doing enough to comply with the law. This development is being closely watched by other countries, including the UK, Indonesia, and New Zealand, which are considering similar restrictions. A recent peer-reviewed evaluation found insufficient evidence that the ban has significantly reduced social media use among young people, highlighting the need for more effective enforcement mechanisms.

Source: Al Jazeera