Australia's online safety watchdog is considering legal action against social media giants
including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, alleging they have failed to keep children under 16
of their platforms. The first compliance report since the ban's implementation on 10th of December found that
a substantial number of children continue to bypass age assurance systems, and that half
of the monitor platforms are not taking reasonable steps to prevent underage access
Communications Minister Annika Wells accused the companies of deliberately doing the absolute
bare minimum to undermine the legislation to discourage other nations from following Australia's
lead. As of early March, 5 million social media accounts have been deactivated or removed
We have seen some progress, but the e-safety compliance update released today lays bare the
facts. Australia's world-leading social media laws are not failing, but big tech is failing to obey
the laws. Court could now impose fines up to 30 million euros for systemic failures
with a final decision on court action expected by media. In response, Meta stated that determining
age online remains an industry-wide challenge, while Snapchat reported locking 450,000 accounts
to date. Meanwhile, Reddit and Digital Freedom Project have filed constitutional challenges in
the high court, arguing the ban infringes upon the implied freedom of political communication
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 21st of May