Australia’s New Social Media Restrictions for Minors: Key Details and Implications

Australia has introduced legislation to strengthen its ban on social media use for minors under 16, granting regulators expanded powers to penalize non-compliant tech companies. The bill proposes to double maximum fines for violations to 99 million Australian dollars (approximately 68.2 million U.S. dollars) and allows the eSafety commissioner to demand internal documents from platforms like Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet. The legislation must be approved by the Parliament before it can enter into force.

What Are the Key Provisions of the New Legislation?

The legislation follows evidence that minors are still accessing platforms six months after the implementation of the original restrictions. The new measures empower the eSafety commissioner to demand documents such as board meeting records and internal emails, ensuring legal cases against non-compliant platforms are “as robust as possible,” said Communications Minister Anika Wells. “Today the world is sending a message to these companies: we see what you are doing, we are not here to play,” stated Wells.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged the Coalition opposition to support the bill, emphasizing that the original ban was passed with bipartisan support. “Today we are giving an ultimatum to social media companies and we are doubling down on the changes that we have made and that we are prepared to implement,” stated Albanese in Canberra.

How Are Tech Giants Responding?

Meta, Alphabet, and Snap did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Benzinga. The Australian online safety regulator, eSafety, is investigating Meta Platforms Inc. (META) for Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. (SNAP), TikTok, and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) (GOOG) for YouTube regarding potential non-compliance.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, criticized the measures, calling them a “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” arguing that the true goal is to allow the government to track citizens through identity verification requirements.

What Are the Global Implications?

The Australian ban is a subject of global discussion. Earlier this month, the British Prime Minister announced a similar measure, inspired by Australian restrictions. The new legislation could potentially exacerbate tensions and affect Australia’s trade relations with the United States. Just days before the Australian announcement, Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs, exceeding existing trade agreements, on countries that tax American tech giants like Meta Platforms, Alphabet Inc., and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). Trump made particular reference to “numerous European countries.”

Why Does This Matter for Users and Regulators?

The Australian parliament has received a new bill aimed at strengthening the enforcement of the social media ban. The legislation, however, must be passed by Parliament before it can come into effect.

eSafety Commissioner | Australian Government | Reuters