Social media giants seek more time on Australia’s under-16 ban

MUMBAI: Australia’s social media crackdown is proving harder to scroll through than expected. Major platforms including Google, Meta, Snapchat and TikTok have asked Australian lawmakers for more time to assess the country’s under-16 social media restrictions, as early evidence suggests a large share of minors may still be accessing the services.

Executives from the four companies appeared before a Senate inquiry examining whether the restrictions are delivering the intended results. Research, including findings from Australia’s internet regulator, indicates that around 80 per cent of minors remained on social media several months after the restrictions came into force in December.

The figures have fuelled a growing dispute between technology companies and lawmakers over whether platforms are doing enough to enforce the rules. The eSafety Commissioner is considering enforcement action against some services and has accused platforms of deliberately delaying compliance.

Technology companies, however, argued that the available data is too early to draw firm conclusions.

Rachel Lord, YouTube’s head of government relations, told the inquiry that the evidence represented an early snapshot and should not be given excessive weight. She noted that the government’s latest published compliance figures date back to March.

Lord also said age-assurance technology had historically been designed around an 18-year threshold, while systems capable of accurately identifying users around the 16-year-old cut-off are still developing.

Meta also questioned how the research measured compliance. Mia Garlick, Meta’s Australia head of public policy, said studies may not always distinguish between someone accessing a platform and someone who actually holds an account, arguing that survey responses about social media use may not necessarily reflect account status.

The companies also pointed to the scale of their enforcement efforts.

Meta said it had deactivated 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts suspected of belonging to underage Australian users, up from around 500,000 in March. Google said it had prevented around 740,000 Google account holders from using their accounts to access YouTube.

TikTok said its enforcement has been continuing since the restrictions began. Jessica Loftstedt, TikTok’s Australian head of public policy, said the platform removed 550,000 accounts when the rules were introduced and has since been taking down around 24,000 accounts a month.

The Senate inquiry is also considering tougher penalties. Proposed changes would increase the maximum fine for companies to A$99 million, from the current level, while giving the eSafety Commissioner broader powers to obtain information and documents from platforms and external age-assurance providers during investigations.

The debate comes as Australia’s experiment with restricting social media access for under-16s is being closely watched internationally, with concerns that other countries could adopt similar measures.

The eSafety Commissioner is due to appear before the Senate inquiry later on Friday, adding another voice to a debate that increasingly pits regulatory urgency against the still-evolving technology used to enforce the ban.