Julie Inman Grant

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned senators for delaying amendments to a social media ban for children under 16, which would have expanded the eSafety Commissioner's powers to enforce the law and demand documents from platforms. The conservative Liberal Party and Greens referred the bill to an eight-week Senate inquiry, raising concerns that tech companies might destroy evidence during the delay.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned senators for delaying amendments to a child social media ban, which would empower the eSafety Commissioner to enforce the law and demand documents from platforms. The amendments, opposed by the Liberal Party and Greens, were referred to an eight-week Senate inquiry, raising concerns about tech companies destroying evidence.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized senators for delaying amendments to a social media ban for children under 16, which would have expanded the eSafety Commissioner's powers to enforce the law and obtain documents from tech platforms. The conservative Liberal Party and Greens referred the bill to an eight-week Senate inquiry, with opposition figures questioning the effectiveness of the proposed measures.

Australia's government has announced legislation to double fines to $99m for platforms violating a social media ban, but experts warn penalties alone will be ineffective without stronger enforcement against tech giants. The eSafety commissioner will gain enhanced information-gathering powers to address the issue.

Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children under 16 from social media after evidence showed the existing ban, enforced since December 2023, was ineffective. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant are prioritizing reforms, as many underage children continue to hold accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Other countries, including the UK and Canada, have also introduced similar age-based restrictions.

Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children under 16 from social media after evidence showed the current ban is failing. The government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is considering stronger measures as data revealed many underage children still hold accounts on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Other countries, including the UK and Canada, have also introduced similar age-based restrictions.

Australia plans to strengthen laws banning children under 16 from social media platforms after evidence showed the existing ban failed. Other countries like Britain, Canada, and Brazil have introduced similar measures, while enforcement challenges persist due to platform resistance and insufficient regulatory powers.

Australian social services minister Rishworth announces jobseeker policy changes to address concerns over for-profit job providers. The eSafety commissioner reveals ongoing investigations into Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for non-compliance with under-16s social media bans, noting legal complexities in issuing fines.