On June 25, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced in Parliament that the government is reviewing measures to strengthen the social media account ban. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the day before, he emphasized the need to enhance the powers of the eSafety Commissioner, the agency responsible for online safety regulations.
"I will ensure that the laws are as strong as possible and can withstand any legal challenges," Albanese said, noting that he is assessing whether Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, has sufficient authority.
To this end, the government plans to introduce a 'Digital Duty of Care' bill, which would increase platform accountability for predictable harms arising from content and algorithms.
The push for stricter regulations comes about six months after the implementation of the policy prohibiting social media account creation for those under 16, as many young people continue to use these platforms.
A recent study published in the medical journal BMJ surveyed 408 Australian youths aged 12 to 15 and found that 85% continued to use social media three months after the account ban was enforced.
Approximately two-thirds of respondents reported using false information during the age verification process or submitting selfies that made them appear older to bypass the verification. While some platforms have implemented facial recognition-based age verification systems, many users have managed to evade these measures, and a significant number did not undergo any age verification at all.
Lisa Given from RMIT University told AP News, "eSafety is struggling with enforcement due to resistance from platforms. More authority needs to be granted to the Commissioner, or new enforcement methods are required."
Consequently, Australian authorities are preparing legal actions against companies that fail to take reasonable measures to prevent account creation by users under 16, based on provisions that could impose fines of up to AUD 49.5 million (approximately USD 32 million).
* This article has been translated by AI.
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