The Australian government says it will investigate five social media platforms over non-compliance with its recent under-16 social media ban. This comes after the national eSafety Commissioner warned that tech giants are flouting the law and many children have been able to retain or create accounts.
The commissioner published a report on the ban on Tuesday. It includes a survey of parents whose children had Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok accounts before the ban. Almost 70 percent said their children had retained their accounts.
The watchdog also suggests measures by social media platforms to prevent the creation of underage accounts have been insufficient.
Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells says the issue is not with the ban, but with big tech and says the government will probe Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube over compliance.
Wells said the situation is “unacceptable,” given that the platforms had said they would respect Australia’s laws. She added, “If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws.”
Wells noted that 5 million underage accounts had been deactivated or removed since December. The outcome of Australia’s law could affect how other governments around the world attempt to rein in social media companies.
