Australia’s online safety watchdog is considering legal action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube for not doing enough to prevent children under 16 from using their platforms. New laws, effective since December 10, require platforms to block young users. Despite deactivating 5 million accounts, many children still bypass age checks. The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, expressed concerns about half of the platforms’ compliance. If found non-compliant, platforms could face fines up to 49.5 million Australian dollars. Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized the platforms for minimal compliance, suggesting they want the laws to fail. Meta and Snap Inc. claim efforts to comply, while TikTok and YouTube have not commented. This issue is significant as it could influence global online safety laws.
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Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube aren’t fully complying with child account ban, Australia says
