Australia Launches Investigation Into Social Media Giants Over Under-16 Ban Violations

Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant launched a formal investigation on March 31, 2026, into five major social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube — for potential violations of the country's ban on social media accounts for children under 16, which took effect on December 10, 2025. The regulator's first compliance report since the law came into force found that while platforms had deleted and blocked a further 310,000 registrations, significant enforcement gaps remain. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the number of children still active on social media as "concerning" and said the authority's findings revealed "unacceptable systems" in use by the technology companies. The investigation covers Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snap's Snapchat, ByteDance's TikTok, and Google's YouTube.

One-third of parents say their children still have accounts The eSafety report documented a pattern of inadequate age verification across the investigated platforms. Among children under 16 who still held active accounts, two-thirds had not been asked their age by the platform at any point. The report also found that platforms allowed users to change their stated age multiple times until they entered a figure of 16 or older, effectively enabling minors to bypass restrictions through repeated attempts. „It is likely that many Australian children under 16 were able to create accounts simply by stating that they were 16 or older” — Julie Inman Grant via Frankfurter Allgemeine A survey conducted as part of the report found that one-third of parents said their children under 16 still held at least one social media account — down from just under half before the rules were introduced, but still a figure the regulator described as unacceptable. Grant noted that proving a violation requires more than showing a minor holds an account: the evidence must demonstrate that a platform failed to implement appropriate systems and processes. The regulator said it was now gathering that evidence to support possible enforcement action.

Fines of up to 49.5 million AUD per systematic violation Platforms found to have systematically violated their compliance obligations face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 29.5 million euros, per identified violation. The penalty is not a one-time cap but applies to each separate systematic breach. A decision on whether to pursue sanctions is expected by mid-2026. „A lasting, generational change takes time — but these platforms are capable today of complying with the regulations. And we naturally expect companies operating in Australia to comply with our safety laws” — Julie Inman Grant via Frankfurter Allgemeine Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, acknowledged "natural margins of error" in age verification in a statement and pointed to government tests that had identified the same issues. Snap said it was committed to compliance. Wells accused the companies of deploying familiar resistance tactics. „The kind of tactics we see on social media platforms to circumvent Australia's world-leading law come straight from the Big Tech playbook” — Anika Wells via ZEIT ONLINE

Australia became the first country in the world to introduce a blanket social media ban for users under 16 when the law took effect on December 10, 2025. The government framed the legislation as a measure to protect children from cyberbullying and exposure to disturbing content, describing its goal as giving children back their childhood. Ten platforms in total fall under the law, including Reddit and X, in addition to the five now under investigation. The law has drawn international attention, with several European countries reported to be considering similar measures. In Germany, an expert commission appointed by the Federal Ministry of Education is due to present proposals in June 2026 on child and youth protection in the digital world.

Ten platforms covered, but five face formal scrutiny now The investigation covers five of the ten platforms currently subject to the Australian law, with the regulator focusing its initial enforcement effort on the largest services by user base. By early March 2026, the combined total of accounts removed, blocked, or restricted across all platforms reached approximately five million, according to Grant. The regulator acknowledged that progress had been made — including easier reporting mechanisms for underage users — but said the gaps that remained were significant enough to warrant formal investigation. „Some platforms may not be doing enough to comply with Australian law” — Julie Inman Grant via ZEIT ONLINE The eSafety office said it would continue monitoring compliance across all ten covered platforms while pursuing the evidence-gathering process against the five under investigation. The outcome of that process, and any resulting court action, is expected to become clear by the middle of 2026.