Australia Plans to Prosecute Five Platforms Including Meta and TikTok for Violating the Social Media Ban for Users Under 16

Australian Minister for Communications Anika Wells stated that the government will prosecute five platforms namely Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, accusing them of failing to comply with the social media ban for users under the age of 16. Australia's online safety regulator eSafety Commissioner launched an investigation into the aforementioned platforms in March this year. A July report shows that most underage users can still retain existing accounts or create new ones, primarily due to the platforms' lack of effective age verification mechanisms. Nearly one year after the ban came into force, the government has doubled the maximum penalty for violations to AUD 109.2 million (approximately USD 76 million), and expanded the regulator's investigative powers, granting it the authority to demand platforms submit documents and summon current and former employees.

Source: PANewsRead original