Australia expands eSafety powers, doubles penalties in platform accountability push

Summary

Australia’s parliament has passed the Online Safety Amendment (Strengthening Enforcement for the Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2026, which received assent on September 11, according to the article. The amendment expands the information-gathering and examination powers of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant and raises the maximum civil penalty for noncompliance to A$99 million (reported as US$71 million). The change is intended to strengthen enforcement of Australia’s social media minimum-age framework under the Online Safety Act 2021, particularly by allowing the regulator to compel platforms to provide documentation rather than rely primarily on self-reporting. The article presents the law as a response to alleged weak compliance by major platforms. It cites figures indicating that more than 80 percent of Australian under-16s continued using social media three months after implementation, while account ownership among that age group reportedly fell by more than 10 percent. It also says that more than half of children surveyed reported remaining active because platforms did not ask them to verify their age. Communications Minister Anika Wells accused companies of doing the “absolute bare minimum.” Meta reportedly said it had removed more than 750,000 accounts believed to belong to Australian users under 16. Separately, the article cites a Tech Transparency Project investigation alleging that Meta carried hundreds of paid advertisements involving child sexual abuse material in 2026. The article says Australia is also considering broader digital-duty-of-care legislation.