The Albanese government will nearly double the maximum financial penalty for social media platforms that breach Australia's under-16 ban, lifting the ceiling from $49.5 million to $99 million, after an assessment by the eSafety Commissioner found the rules were not being adequately enforced.
The ban, covering ten platforms including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick, took effect on 10 December 2025. More than five million under-16 accounts have been blocked since then. But the Commissioner's review found that seven in ten children who held accounts before the ban came into force still had some access, through fake accounts, shared credentials, and private browsing modes.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the response from platforms had been inadequate. 'Social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by,' she said. 'We know big tech wants this to fail.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was direct. 'It's clear Big Tech are not doing enough to comply with the law,' he said. 'There are still too many children accessing these platforms.'
The eSafety Commissioner will also receive new powers to compel platforms to produce compliance evidence. Five platforms are currently under active investigation: Facebook and Instagram, as well as Snapchat and TikTok, and YouTube too.
The previous $49.5 million ceiling was already the highest in the world when the ban was introduced. The new $99 million maximum is also the highest in the world for children's online safety enforcement.
A study published in the British Medical Journal in May found 'insufficient evidence' that bans of this kind significantly reduce youth social media use, pointing to the ease with which age restrictions can be circumvented.
