Australia Toughens Social Ban

Australia is moving to toughen its world-first ban on social media use by children under 16, with the government planning to double maximum penalties for platforms that fail to keep underage users off their services to about $99 million. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is prioritizing stronger enforcement after studies suggested the ban has had limited effect, including findings that many Australian teenagers continued using social media months after the restrictions began. The proposed changes would expand the eSafety Commissioner's powers to compel companies to show what steps they are taking to comply, putting major platforms such as Facebook and Instagram under greater pressure. The crackdown reflects Canberra’s argument that tech companies are not doing enough to protect children from age-inappropriate content, bullying and addictive design, while also drawing global attention as other countries weigh similar restrictions.