Australia to double fines for Meta, platforms over child accounts

Australia plans to double fines for social media platforms that fail to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts. Meta's Facebook and Instagram, along with TikTok, Snapchat, and X, face the higher penalties.

The existing ban, passed late last year, gave platforms one year to comply. The government said the current penalty structure has not stopped underage users from holding accounts. The new maximum fine would rise to about A$50 million per violation. Draft legislation is expected in the second half of 2026.

Age verification is the core technical hurdle. Platforms rely on self-reported ages, which children easily sidestep. Options under discussion include biometric estimation, document uploads, and behavioral analysis. None are cheap or easily deployed at scale. Meta has said verification systems threaten user privacy and are technically complex.

The Australian move follows similar efforts elsewhere. The European Union's Digital Services Act already requires strict age-verification and content-moderation rules. Canada and the UK are advancing their own age-restriction laws. Each market forces Meta to develop separate compliance systems, raising operating costs.

Meta's stock rose 1.36% to $550.25 on Monday. The stock carries an AlphaScore of 65, rated Moderate. The Australian Communications and Media Authority will enforce the new rules. The draft legislation is expected to be introduced in the second half of 2026.