KABUL: The Australian government has announced that technology companies that fail to properly enforce restrictions on social media use by children under the age of 16 will face significantly higher financial penalties.
According to the government, the maximum penalty for what it describes as “systematic violations” of the law will be increased from A$49.5 million to A$99 million.
Australian authorities also said that the powers of the country’s online safety regulator will be expanded, enabling it to require social media companies to provide evidence and documentation of the measures they have taken to prevent users under the age of 16 from accessing their platforms.
The decision follows recent studies indicating that, despite the introduction of restrictions on social media use by minors, many teenagers continue to access these platforms.
The Australian government further confirmed that investigations are underway into potential violations involving several major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.