Australia is considering bringing court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube after alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms.
FILE - A YouTube sign is shown near the company's headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., Wednesday, March 12, 2025. FILE - A car passes Facebook's new Meta logo on a sign at the company headquarters on Oct.
28, 2021, in Menlo Park, Calif. FILE - A YouTube sign is shown near the company's headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., Wednesday, March 12, 2025. said Tuesday it was considering court against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Experts say the Australian courts could decide what steps the platforms can reasonably be expected to take undereSAfety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on Tuesday released her first compliance report since those laws took effect demanding 10 platforms remove all Australian account-holders younger than 16. While 5 million Australian accounts had been deactivated, a substantial number of Australian children continued to retain accounts, create new accounts and pass platforms’ age assurance systems, the report said. Inman Grant said in a statement her office had “significant concerns about the compliance” of half of those 10 platforms. Her office was gathering evidence against the five that they had not taken “reasonable steps” to prevent young children holding accounts. Courts could order fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for systemic failures to comply. eSafety would decide on whether to initiate court action against any platform by midyear.Communications Minister Anika Wells said the five criticized platforms were deliberately not complying with Australian law. “Social media platforms are choosing to do the absolute bare minimum because they want these laws to fail,” Wells told reporters. “This is the world-leading law. We’re the first in the world to do it. Of course they don’t want these laws to work because they want that to be a chilling effect on the dozen countries that have come out since Dec. 10 to follow Australia’s step,” she added. eSafety had identified “poor practices” such as platforms allowing unlimited attempts for a user to pass their age assurance methods and prompting the user to try to pass the age assurance method even after they declared themselves underage. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, told The Associated Press it was committed to complying with Australia’s social media ban. “We’ve also been clear that accurately determining age online is a challenge for the whole industry,” the statement said. Snap Inc. said it has locked 450,000 accounts in compliance with the law and continued to lock more every day. “Snapchat remains fully committed to implementing reasonable steps under the legislation and supporting its underlying goal of improving online safety for young Australians,” a Snap statement said. TikTok declined to comment on Tuesday and Alphabet Inc., which owns YouTube and Google, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lisa Given, an information sciences expert at RMIT University in Melbourne, said she expected the courts will decide whether platforms have taken “reasonable steps” to exclude young children. “If a tech company has said: look, we put in age assurance, we’ve done all these steps. That’s reasonable. Even though the aged assurance technologies are flawed, whose fault is that? Should they be held accountable for a piece of technology that is not 100% and likely not going to be 100% foolproof any time soon?” Given said.Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.▶Fake Instagram account created by high school students leads to former DCPS police officer’s arrestThe Jags are about to get a new 'home away from home' for 2027Woman found fatally shot in front yard of home on Jacksonville’s WestsideLawmakers hope new law spurs affordable housing, but some say it weakens local government control‘Crash zone’: Northside neighbors demand action on dangerous curveWoman found fatally shot in front yard of home on Jacksonville’s WestsideMeet our March Positively JAX winner: Waste Not Florida 💙♻️▶Florida court shuts down online gift card business based in Ponte Vedra, imposes over $800K in finesCashless touchscreens replace parking kiosks in downtown St. AugustineDNA test connects Clay County Navy veteran to WWII POW missing for over 80 yearsLoved ones say farewell to 23-year-old JFRD engineer who died in crashSt. Augustine replacing downtown parking kiosks with cashless touchscreensLoved ones mourn Jacksonville father of 4 killed in apartment shootingHundreds participate in Jacksonville ‘No Kings’ rally against Trump administration1:02Flagler College students protest housing policy as seniors cite affordability, availability concernsFlagler College students protest housing policy as seniors cite affordability, availability concernsIt's a great day for Jumbo Shrimp baseball! Join us tonight for the home opening weekendGAME DAY ⚾🦐 The defending Triple-A National Champion Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp returnDuval County schools warns families about unsanctioned ‘senior skip day’ at Jacksonville BeachShould an HOA or property management company be required to post parking rules for visitors?240 new affordable housing units are for ‘people who keep this city running,’ councilman saysFights erupt at Palatka Junior-Senior High after field trip focused on mental healthThe Block Jax owner continues working on parking solutions ahead of busy sports weekendMother of teen punched during arrest says officer went too farSlow down & move over: Ride-along with JSO traffic patrol drives home important safety reminders
Lisa Given Technology Anika Wells World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Meta, YouTube verdict could trigger cascade of social media lawsuits: expertA California jury found Meta and YouTube liable this week for creating an addictive product that harmed the mental health of a young woman, ordering the two companies to pay $6 million in damages.
Read more »
Inside the Case: Meta, YouTube found liable for addictive design targeting kidsStart your morning with The National News Desk as Jan Jeffcoat sits down with Founding Attorney at Social Media Victims Law Center Matthew Bergman.
Read more »
The Rise of a Spanish-Language News InfluencerGraciela Mochkofky writes about how Carlos Eduardo Espina reaches millions of followers, on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Read more »
TikTok Sparks Debate: What's Appropriate Attire in Child-Centric Environments?A viral TikTok video raises questions about adult attire in family-friendly settings, sparking a broader discussion on societal expectations and the balance between personal expression and the well-being of children. The creator argues for respecting unwritten social norms, advocating for a distinction between adult and child-centered spaces.
Read more »
The 10 Hashtags Driving the Most Beauty Sales on TikTok ShopTikTok Shop hashtag data shows that Koreanskincare, Perfume and Medicube are among the top 10 beauty terms driving sales on the platform.
Read more »
Australia says 5 social media platforms aren't fully complying with age lawAustralia is considering bringing court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube after alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Australia banned young children from holding accounts on 10 social media platforms in December.
Read more »