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Australia Probes Social Media Giants Over Teen Ban

Australia Probes Social Media Giants Over Teen Ban

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The Spin

Australia's teen social media ban is working, and platforms that drag their feet face serious consequences. eSafety has caught Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube using loopholes — like letting kids retry age checks until they get a 16+ result — proving Big Tech won't self-regulate. These platforms have the capability to comply today, and escalating penalties up to $49.5 million make the choice simple.

Australia's teen social media ban looks tougher on paper than in practice — the government shifted from praising platforms to threatening them, yet no fines are imminent. Around 7 in 10 parents say their kids still have accounts, exposing a massive enforcement gap. Blocking five million accounts sounds impressive until you realize a 14-year-old can still log in after a platform demanded a costly legal letter just to close the account.


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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0