‘Enforcement mode’: Australia must take fight to tech giants to make social media ban stick, experts warn
Australian experts are urging the government to move beyond doubling fines for social media platforms that breach the under-16 ban, emphasizing the need for stronger enforcement.
The story so far
- Jun 24
- Jun 26
- Jun 27
- Jun 28
How outlets cover it
5 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
More than 5m social media accounts held by under-16s have been removed, deactivated or restricted since Australia’s ban commenced.
Tech companies are 'not doing enough' to keep children off harmful social media sites.
More than 80% of under-16s were still using social media three months after Australia’s legislation came into force.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that Big Tech is not doing enough to comply with the law regarding children on social media.
Seven out of 10 children aged under 16 with a social media account before the ban still had 'some access'.
The Australian government plans to strengthen laws banning children younger than 16 from social media platforms.
Social media platforms face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34 million) if they fail to remove young children's accounts.
A peer-reviewed evaluation found insufficient evidence that the ban sharply reduced social media use among young people.
Who and where
Related stories over time
same people and places- Dec 2, 2025 – Dec 3, 2025 earlierAustralian social media ban aims to ‘save teens from predatory algorithms’3 articles · 3 outlets
- Mar 30 – Apr 1 earlier
- Jun 24 – Jun 28◆ This story