Australia’s online safety watchdog is investigating five major social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube for potential breaches of the country’s world‑first ban on users under 16, nearly four months after the laws came into effect.
Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed the investigation on Monday, ahead of an eSafety Commissioner report due Tuesday. The update will outline examples of platforms allowing underage users to repeatedly attempt age‑verification until they succeed, as well as failing to prevent children from creating new accounts after being removed.
The report will also allege that some companies have not introduced clear or effective systems for parents and others to report underage users.
Under the legislation, social media giants face fines of up to $49.5 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to comply. Parents and children who circumvent the ban, however, face no penalties.
When the ban took effect on December 10, teenagers quickly took to social media to boast about still accessing their accounts. At the time, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman‑Grant acknowledged “teething issues” as platforms rolled out new age‑assurance technologies. She warned that “egregious noncompliance” would trigger investigations a process now underway.
The government later revealed that more than 4.7 million accounts were deactivated in the first two days of the ban. Early analysis from eSafety suggested platforms had made “meaningful attempts” to remove underage users.
Tech companies that publicly opposed the ban are now legally required to provide detailed data to eSafety on how they are enforcing it.
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