Big Tech accused of failing to obey world-leading social media ban

The Australian government has initiated a comprehensive investigation into several global tech giants for allegedly failing to enforce the nation's landmark under-16 social media ban.

Since the legislation came into effect in December 2025, the eSafety Commission has removed more than five million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers.

However, Communications Minister Anika Wells asserted on that "big tech is failing to obey the laws" despite the government’s robust regulatory framework.

A primary safety report has identified "poor practices" across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Google, including allowing underage users to bypass age filters through trial and error and failing to provide effective channels for parents to flag restricted accounts.

The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, expressed serious concerns that platforms are not taking sufficient action to prevent new underage registrations. Under the current laws, these companies could face individual fines of up to $33.9 million if they are found to be in breach of their compliance obligations.

While Meta has pledged to continue investing in detection tools and Snapchat has reportedly locked 450,000 accounts, the regulator maintains that "predatory algorithms" still pose a significant risk to minors.

Australia's historic step to protect children from online abuse and sexual content is being closely watched by other nations, including the UK and Spain, which are considering similar restrictive measures.

The Australian government expects to deliver formal punishments for confirmed violations by mid-2026. As the investigation progresses, the eSafety Commission is continuing to monitor compliance through the autumn months to ensure that the digital environment remains safe for children.