澳大利亚政府提议将社交媒体平台违反16岁以下用户禁令的罚款上限提高至9900万澳元，同时扩展eSafety专员的权力 [1]。年龄验证提供商协会支持这项劳工党法案，要求对每个受禁令约束的平台进行强制独立审计 [1]。
年龄验证提供商协会警告称，社媒巨头可能甘愿支付罚款来削弱禁令的有效性 [1]。澳大利亚法律委员会对该提案提出保留意见，建议修改法案范围，以确保儿童和家长不被无意中纳入信息收集权力 [1]。通信部长Anika Wells澄清表示，eSafety不会向儿童和家长索取文件，权力仅针对第三方公司 [1]。
研究显示，大多数16岁以下的澳大利亚人仍能登入至少一个社交媒体平台，包括TikTok、Snapchat、Facebook和Instagram [1]。参议院预计将在8月就该立法建议进行报告 [1]。
Australia's government is pursuing stricter enforcement mechanisms for its proposed ban on social media use by children under 16, with plans to significantly increase penalties for non-compliant platforms. The Association of Age Verification Providers (AVPA) has thrown its support behind the government's proposed legislation, endorsing proposals to mandate independent audits for each platform subject to the age restriction and raise maximum penalties to AUD $99 million.[1]
However, the AVPA has cautioned that social media giants may be willing to absorb these fines as a cost of circumventing the ban's effectiveness.[1] Communications Minister Anika Wells has responded to privacy concerns by clarifying that the expanded eSafety Commissioner powers would target third-party companies only, rather than children and parents.[1] Despite these assurances, the Australian Law Council has recommended modifications to the legislation's scope to ensure that children and families are not inadvertently caught by information-gathering provisions.[1]
Implementation challenges remain evident, as research demonstrates that the majority of Australians under 16 can still access at least one major social media platform, including TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram.[1] The Senate inquiry is scheduled to consider submissions from all stakeholders and issue its report in August.[1]