Experts warn Australia must enforce social media ban after fines doubled

The government will introduce legislation doubling fines to $99m for platforms that breach the social media ban and giving the eSafety commissioner stronger information-gathering powers. Research this month suggested the majority of under-16s were bypassing age restrictions, while the government said more than 5m accounts have been removed, deactivated or restricted since the ban was introduced on 10 December.

Catherine Page Jeffery of the University of Sydney said the government needed to "move into the enforcement mode" and take tougher action against platforms. She said digital duty of care legislation would protect users and warned the ban had changed little for under-16s, with "about 80% still stating they remain on social media." Page Jeffery added that holding platforms to account and greater transparency around algorithms would be a better policy than excluding younger people.

The government has promised to legislate a digital duty of care but is still consulting on its form.

Australia

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