Highlights
- 31 per cent of children still had social media accounts after the ban, down from 49 per cent before.
- Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube are under investigation for non-compliance.
- Platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 m if found in breach.
Australia's communications minister Anika Wells announced on Tuesday that Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube were all facing investigation for potentially breaking the rules.
She claimed the companies weren't doing enough to enforce the ban.
Technology called inadequate
The eSafety Commission said the technology these firms are using, such as facial age estimation, isn't working well enough.
Officials also accused the platforms of having weak safeguards that let teenagers keep trying age verification checks until they pass.
The social media age laws, which started last December, list Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit as "age-restricted platforms".
The legislation bans under-16s from holding accounts and requires companies to take reasonable steps stopping children from opening or keeping accounts. Breaking these rules can result in fines reaching A$49.5 m.
Meta pointed out that accurately checking ages online presents challenges for the entire industry, particularly at the 16-year boundary.
Meta suggested that most effective step would be age verification and parental approval at app store level before teenagers can download apps or create accounts.
The government said in January that more than 4.7 million social media accounts were deactivated, removed or restricted in the first days after the ban started on 10th December, but didn't break down how many accounts each platform removed.
Wells said eSafety was still collecting evidence before deciding whether to pursue penalties against any company.
