Australia Readies A$49.5M Fines to Enforce Under-16 YouTube Ban
GOOG•Australian government will reinforce its six-month-old ban on social media for under-16s, targeting platforms such as Google's YouTube and imposing fines up to A$49.5 million for noncompliance. 85% of 12-15-year-olds still use social media, spurring legal challenges and new powers for eSafety commissioner to increase compliance costs for Google.
1. Enforcement Strengthening
Australian government will bolster its six-month-old ban on social media accounts for under-16s by empowering the eSafety commissioner and expanding enforcement tools to prevent age-assurance circumvention on platforms like YouTube.
2. Fines and Legal Challenges
Platforms such as Google's YouTube face fines up to A$49.5 million for systemic failures in age verification, while the government prepares legal action against five major platforms and commits to defending any court challenges.
3. Teen Usage and Compliance Costs
Despite early account shutdowns, 85% of Australians aged 12-15 still access social media, driving the government to enhance compliance mechanisms and potentially raise operational costs for Google’s YouTube under stricter regulations.
