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The country’s Communications Minister, Anika Wells, said the government expects to take legal action against these major platforms over alleged failures to enforce age restrictions. Australia’s online safety regulator eSafety has found that many underage users were still able to retain their accounts or create new ones, raising questions about the effectiveness of age-verification measures, according to a report by Bloomberg. In a recent speech to the National Press Club, Wells said, “The law is not failing — platforms are failing to comply with the law. She also said in a Sydney interview this week that proceedings against these platforms are expected to move forward.
YouTube , Facebook , Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms are facing another legal test in Australia. Wells has argued that the legislation itself is not the problem, accusing platforms of failing to comply with their obligations. The government has strengthened penalties for violations and expanded the regulator’s investigative powers as it prepares to take the companies to court. This follows the eSafety Commissioner’s March investigation into Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, as well as TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, over potential non-compliance with the law.