Australia to sue Meta, TikTok and three other platforms over violations of under-16 social media ban

October 20 — According to Bloomberg, Australia's Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government will sue Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube, accusing the five platforms of failing to comply with the social media ban for users under 16. Australia's online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, launched an investigation into the platforms in March this year. A July report showed that most underage users were still able to keep or create accounts, mainly because the platforms lacked effective age verification. Nearly a year after the ban took effect, the government has doubled the maximum fine for violations to A$109.2 million (about US$76 million) and expanded the regulator's investigative powers, allowing it to require platforms to submit documents and summon current and former employees. Wells said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant is using these powers to prepare to file a lawsuit in the Federal Court. Meta and eSafety have not yet responded.