Albanese Government Doubles Social Media Penalties to Protect Children Online

Canberra— The Australian Government has announced tougher enforcement measures to ensure social media companies comply with the nation’s world-first minimum age laws, including doubling the maximum penalty for systematic breaches from $49.5 million to $99 million.

The reforms will strengthen the powers of the eSafety Commissioner, enabling the independent regulator to compel social media companies and third parties to provide information and evidence demonstrating how they prevent children under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms.

According to the Albanese Government, more than 5 million accounts belonging to users under 16 have been removed, deactivated, or restricted since Australia’s social media minimum age law came into effect on 10 December 2025. Despite this progress, the Government says significant concerns remain about compliance by major technology companies.

The proposed legislation will expand the Commissioner’s information-gathering powers, allowing requests for documents and evidence from social media platforms, age-assurance providers, and app-store operators. The Government says these measures will strengthen investigations and improve enforcement of Australia’s online safety laws.

The penalty for failing to comply with information notices issued by the eSafety Commissioner will also be doubled, while the maximum penalty for systematic breaches will increase to $99 million, aligning it with penalties available under Australia’s competition and consumer laws.

The eSafety Commissioner is currently investigating potential non-compliance involving five major platforms:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• YouTube

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia continues to lead global efforts to protect children online.

“Australia is leading the world in our efforts to keep kids and young people safe online.”

He said that while international momentum has grown following Australia’s reforms, “big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law,” adding that too many children remain on social media platforms.

Minister for Communications Anika Wells said the Government was determined to hold technology companies accountable.

“Social media platforms are some of the richest and most powerful companies in the world, and we’re serious about holding them to account.”

She said the enhanced regulatory powers and increased penalties demonstrate the Government’s commitment to enforcing compliance and protecting young Australians from online harms.

Australia’s social media minimum age legislation has attracted international attention, with several countries considering similar approaches to safeguarding children online.

Source: Australian Government – Prime Minister of Australia; Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.