Australia said on June 27 that it plans to raise the maximum penalty for tech firms that systematically fail to enforce its six-month-old social media ban for users under 16 to A$99 million (US$68.3 million), from A$49.5 million (US$34.1 million).

The government also plans to give the eSafety Commissioner broader powers to demand evidence from platforms and third parties.

It said the eSafety Commissioner was actively investigating possible non-compliance by Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.

The government also said more than 5 million accounts belonging to users under 16 had been deactivated or restricted since the ban took effect.

The tougher stance comes as research suggests the rules have had limited impact.

A study in the British Medical Journal of 408 adolescents found that 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect.

The study said about two-thirds of underage users stayed online by declaring they were over 16 or by uploading selfies that platforms accepted as showing they were over 16.

🔗 Source: Reuters