Australia Plans to Sue Five Platforms Over Under-16 Social Media Ban

Australia’s government plans to sue five major social media services, alleging they failed to enforce its under-16 ban. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube could face maximum penalties of about $76 million.

The government plans to bring the cases to federal court. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is preparing the filings, using investigative powers expanded by the government. Those powers let the regulator require platform documents and summon current and former employees.

Australia’s eSafety regulator began investigating the five services in March. A July assessment found most underage users could still keep existing accounts or create new ones. The assessment identified ineffective age verification as the main reason.

The maximum penalty for violations has doubled to about $76 million. The ban has been in place for nearly a year. The July findings showed underage users could still access the services in two ways: by keeping an account or opening a new one.