Meta, Tiktok and Google under investigation for allegedly disobeying Australia’s social media ban

The Australian government has accused big tech firms like Meta, TikTok and Google of disobeying the landmark ban on under-16s using social media, after the country’s online safety office warned many children had accounts. A survey of 900 Australian parents found around a third (31%) said their children still had one or more social media accounts after the ban, compared to 49% before the laws. Of the total number of under 16s who had accounts on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok before the ban, 70% had maintained access, the survey found. On Tuesday it was revealed Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube were all under investigation for potential non-compliance with the rules, with Australia’s communications minister, Anika Wells, alleging the companies were not doing enough to enforce the ban. The eSafety Commission claimed the technology being used by the companies – such as facial age estimation – was not effective enough, and alleged the firms had lax guardrails which allowed teens to repeatedly attempt age verification until they were successful. “None of this is impossible. None of this is even difficult for big tech who are innovative billion dollar companies. What this update shows is unacceptable,” Wells said in Canberra on
Read More