Australian government investigates tech firms over under-16 social media ban compliance
Consensus Summary
Australian authorities are investigating major tech platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube—for potential non-compliance with a world-first ban on under-16 social media accounts. The eSafety Commission’s February 2024 report revealed systemic failures, such as allowing repeated age-verification attempts, inadequate prevention of new accounts for banned users, and poor reporting mechanisms for underage access. While over 4.7 million accounts were deactivated in the first days after the December 2023 ban, surveys showed 31% of parents still reported their children having social media access, with 70% of pre-ban users retaining accounts on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The government has threatened fines of up to A$49.5 million for systemic breaches, with Communications Minister Anika Wells criticizing platforms for ‘undermining’ the law. Meta, TikTok, and Google have either defended their compliance or remained silent, while the eSafety Commissioner has emphasized the need for robust age verification. The ban, championed by Australia as a global leader in online child protection, faces scrutiny over its effectiveness despite initial account closures. Critics argue platforms exploit loopholes, while supporters highlight progress in reducing underage usage from 49% to 31%. The investigation underscores broader tensions between tech companies and regulators over enforcement of digital safety laws.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are under investigation by Australia’s eSafety Commission for potential non-compliance with the under-16 social media ban, announced on or before February 2024.
- The eSafety Commission’s compliance update (released February 2024) found platforms allow underage users to repeatedly attempt age assurance tests until they pass, per Guardian Australia, ABC, and News Corp Australia.
- Platforms are accused of failing to prevent banned users from creating new accounts after deactivation, as reported by Guardian Australia, ABC, and News Corp Australia.
- Poor systems for reporting underage users are cited by the eSafety Commission in investigations against the five platforms, per Guardian Australia and ABC.
- The maximum fine for systemic non-compliance under the ban is A$49.5 million (US$33.9m), as stated by Guardian Australia, News Corp Australia, and ABC.
- Over 4.7 million social media accounts were deactivated, removed, or restricted in the first days after the ban took effect on December 10, 2023, per Guardian Australia and News Corp Australia.
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram) reported closing 550,000 accounts, while Snapchat and TikTok combined closed 665,000 accounts since the ban, per News Corp Australia.
- The ban covers 10 platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick, and Reddit, as per Guardian Australia and ABC.
- A survey of 900 Australian parents found 31% of children still had social media accounts after the ban, down from 49% before, per Guardian Australia.
- The eSafety Commission’s report stated 70% of under-16s who had accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok before the ban retained access, per Guardian Australia.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Albanese government’s communications minister, Anika Wells, claimed platforms are ‘seeking to undermine’ the government’s laws, per Article 1 and Article 2.
- Penny Wong (Foreign Affairs Minister) stated Australia has ‘concerns’ if the US war in Iran aims for regime change, linking it to global economic impacts, per Article 1.
- The Guardian reported that 10,372 Australians returned from the Middle East since the Iran conflict began, with three flights scheduled to arrive that day, per Article 1.
- The Guardian cited a survey where 63.6% of parents reported their child still had a Facebook account post-ban, 69.1% for Instagram, 69.4% for Snapchat, and 69.3% for TikTok, per Article 2.
- The Guardian noted that facial age estimation had higher error rates for users near the 16-year-old cutoff, per Article 2.
- The Guardian mentioned that eSafety’s report found ‘poor practices’ including platforms encouraging under-16s to attempt age verification repeatedly, per Article 2.
- The Guardian included an open letter reference to musicians pressuring the government on a gas export tax, per Article 1.
- SBS reported that platforms were making it ‘easy to find ways to circumvent age-assurance measures,’ per Article 3.
- News Corp Australia stated the ban was implemented after News Corp’s ‘Let Them Be Kids’ campaign, per Article 4.
- News Corp Australia mentioned the definition of covered platforms would be updated to include those with infinite scroll, feedback features, and time-limited elements, per Article 4.
- News Corp Australia explicitly noted Discord, Google Classroom, WhatsApp, and Roblox were excluded from the ban, per Article 4.
- ABC reported eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said there were ‘teething issues’ as platforms deployed new age-assurance technologies post-ban, per Article 5.
- ABC included a quote from Julie Inman-Grant stating ‘If there’s egregious noncompliance, I think that will be pretty obvious pretty quickly and then we start an investigation,’ per Article 5.
- ABC noted that tech companies are required to provide data on compliance responses to eSafety under the laws, per Article 5.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Guardian Australia (Article 2) reports 31% of parents said their children still had social media accounts post-ban, while News Corp Australia (Article 4) does not provide a comparable parental survey figure.
- Guardian Australia (Article 1) states the ban forbids under-16s from having accounts with ‘some of the biggest tech platforms,’ but News Corp Australia (Article 4) explicitly lists 10 platforms covered by the ban.
- Guardian Australia (Article 2) claims platforms allow users to repeatedly attempt age verification until they pass, but Meta’s statement in the Guardian (Article 2) argues age verification is ‘a challenge for the whole industry’ with ‘natural error margins.’
- News Corp Australia (Article 4) states the ban was implemented after News Corp’s ‘Let Them Be Kids’ campaign, while Guardian Australia (Articles 1 and 2) does not attribute the campaign’s origin to News Corp.
- ABC (Article 5) mentions ‘teething issues’ as platforms deployed age-assurance technologies, while Guardian Australia (Article 2) frames the issues as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘systemic failures.’
Source Articles
Australian politics live: social media giants accused of ‘potential non-compliance’ with under-16s social media ban
Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube being investigated as eSafety releases update on compliance with social media ban. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podc...
Meta, Tiktok and Google under investigation for allegedly disobeying Australia’s social media ban
Nearly 70% of under-16s with accounts on Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok had maintained access, survey finds The Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeyi...
Australia investigating tech giants over teen social media ban breaches
A compliance report on the legislation found platforms were making it easy to find ways to circumvent age-assurance measures....
Crackdown looms for social media giants
Social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok face millions in fines over revelations they are using “big tech playbook” tactics to undermine Australia’s under-16 social media ban....
Five social media companies investigated over response to teen ban
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube are being investigated for potential noncompliance with the ban, almost four months after the laws came into force....