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Australia Social Media Ban

June 26 – June 30, 2026 Updated 15h ago

National

Australia to toughen under-16 social media ban after evidence it is failing

PM Anthony Albanese says the government will strengthen its world-first under-16 social media ban after data showed seven in 10 underage children kept their accounts, bypassing age checks with VPNs, masks and parents' IDs.

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Australia moves to double social media fines to A$99m over under-16 ban

Australia will introduce legislation doubling the maximum penalty to A$99 million for platforms that fail to keep under-16s off their services, and hand the eSafety Commissioner stronger powers, after most banned children kept their accounts.