Australia to double fines for firms violating social media ban for children younger than 16

The Australian government has announced that it will move to double the maximum fine for companies that fail to enforce the nation’s social media ban for children younger than 16. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last night that technology companies are not doing enough to comply with the under-16 social media ban.

The proposed law would raise the maximum penalty from 34.1 million US dollars to 68.3 million US dollars. It would also give the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers to require platforms to prove they are preventing underage users from accessing their services.

The move follows a University of Newcastle study showing more than 85 percent of children under 16 continued using restricted social media platforms three months after the ban took effect in December 2025. The government plans to introduce the legislation before Parliament’s winter recess begins this week.