Australia Threatens YouTube With A$49.5M Penalties Over 5M Underage Accounts
Australia's online safety watchdog says about 5M under-16 accounts have been removed from platforms including YouTube, but user age checks remain weak and underage users are easily re-registering. Regulators flagged significant compliance failures at half the platforms and warn of penalties up to A$49.5M ($33M) for serious breaches.
1. Regulators Review YouTube Age Enforcement
Australia’s eSafety Commission has launched a review of how YouTube enforces its ban on users under 16, evaluating the platform’s age verification systems and compliance measures.
2. Underage Account Takedowns and Compliance Gaps
To date, online platforms including YouTube have removed approximately 5 million under-16 accounts, but regulators found that weak age checks and repetitive registration attempts allow many minors to retain or recreate accounts.
3. Potential Penalties for YouTube Non-Compliance
Regulators warned that YouTube could face fines up to A$49.5 million (about $33 million) for serious breaches if it fails to demonstrate reasonable steps were taken to enforce child protection rules.