The Australian government is preparing to file lawsuits against Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube over violations of the ban on social media use by people under the age of 16, stated in a statement by Australia's Communications Minister Anika Wells, The Straits Times reports
According to the minister, the country's online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, is collecting evidence in preparation for legal proceedings against the companies.
It was noted that in March, the regulator began investigating whether Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, were complying with the legislation.
According to the publication, a report released in July found that most users under the age of 16 were able to retain their existing accounts or create new ones. The main reason for this was the lack of sufficiently effective age verification mechanisms on the platforms.
The ban, which came into force in Australia in December 2025, requires social media companies to take reasonable steps to prevent people under the age of 16 from creating accounts.
The maximum fine for violations of the law has been increased to 109.2 million Australian dollars. In addition, the eSafety Commissioner has been granted the authority to request documents from companies and summon current and former employees to testify.
Wells stated that the newly granted powers enable the regulator to collect the necessary evidence to bring cases against the five platforms in the Federal Court.
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