Australia is considering tougher penalties for social media companies as its under-16 social media restrictions continue to face enforcement problems.
The rules require major social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from holding accounts. The system became enforceable in December 2025 and was introduced as part of Australia’s wider effort to protect children from harmful online content and excessive social media use.
However, early results suggest that stopping young users from accessing social platforms is proving difficult.
Recent findings indicate that a large number of Australian children under 16 are still using social media despite the restrictions. Some teenagers are creating new accounts after old ones are removed, while others may be finding ways around age-checking systems.
The situation has increased pressure on the Australian government to strengthen the law and give regulators more power to investigate whether technology companies are doing enough.
One of the biggest proposed changes would double the maximum financial penalty for serious or repeated failures. Companies could face fines of up to A$99 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to stop underage users from maintaining social media accounts.
Australia is also considering stronger powers for the eSafety Commissioner. These powers could allow the regulator to demand more documents, internal information and other data from social media companies.
The regulator could also seek information from third-party companies that provide age-checking or age-assurance technology. This could make it easier to examine how platforms decide whether a user is old enough to have an account and whether those systems are working properly.
Major platforms have already removed or restricted large numbers of accounts.
Meta says hundreds of thousands of Australian accounts linked to users under 16 have been removed from Facebook and Instagram. YouTube has also blocked hundreds of thousands of younger Google users from accessing the platform, while TikTok says it has removed a large number of accounts and continues to identify additional underage users.
Still, removing accounts does not completely solve the problem. Young users may attempt to register again, change account information or find other ways to avoid age checks.
This has made age verification one of the biggest technical challenges behind Australia’s policy.
Social media companies can use several methods to estimate a person’s age. These can include information entered by users, account activity, artificial intelligence-based age estimation and other behavioural signals.
But these systems are not always accurate. Platforms must also balance stronger age checks with privacy concerns because requiring too much personal information could create additional risks for users.
Technology companies have argued that the system is still developing and that it is too early to judge the long-term success of the restrictions. They say age-checking technology and enforcement methods will continue to improve as more data becomes available.
Australian lawmakers, however, are increasing pressure on platforms to show that they are taking meaningful action.
The government’s approach places responsibility mainly on social media companies rather than children or their parents. Under-16 users themselves are not expected to face financial penalties simply for accessing a restricted platform.
Instead, regulators are focused on whether companies are making reasonable efforts to identify younger users, remove their accounts and prevent them from quickly returning.
Australia’s policy is being closely watched internationally because governments around the world are debating how to protect children online while also protecting privacy and access to digital services.
If the tougher penalties and expanded regulatory powers move forward, social media companies operating in Australia could face much greater pressure to improve their age-detection systems.
The coming months will show whether stronger enforcement can reduce underage social media use or whether teenagers will continue finding ways around the restrictions.
