Government prepares legal action against social media platforms over under-16s ban

The Australian government is reportedly preparing legal proceedings against major social media platforms over alleged failures to enforce the country’s minimum age restrictions.

Communications Minister Anika Wells has indicated that Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube could face action in the Federal Court as authorities investigate whether the companies have done enough to prevent under-16s from accessing their services.

The move follows the introduction of Australia’s social media minimum age laws in December 2025, making the country the first to implement a nationwide restriction of this kind.

Under the legislation, covered social media platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts. Companies that fail to comply face substantial financial penalties.

While platforms reported removing or suspending hundreds of thousands of accounts believed to belong to underage users after the laws came into effect, early assessments suggested many young Australians continued to access social media.

According to Bloomberg, Wells said authorities were gathering evidence to support potential legal proceedings against platforms suspected of failing to meet their obligations.

A key issue is how the legislation defines taking “reasonable steps”. Although companies are required to implement age restrictions, the law allows platforms some flexibility in how they approach compliance, leaving room for disputes over whether their measures are sufficient.

The government has not prescribed a single method for verifying users’ ages, instead allowing platforms to choose from a range of approaches.

However, potential court action could put greater pressure on companies to demonstrate that their age-verification systems and enforcement measures meet the legal requirements.

The maximum penalty for breaches has also been doubled, with platforms now potentially facing fines of up to $70 million for confirmed violations.

The prospect of significant financial penalties and legal scrutiny could prompt social media companies to strengthen their safeguards, as the government seeks to make the restrictions more effective.