Australia doubles social media firms’ fine for breaching under-16 ban, expands watchdog’s power

Australia will double the maximum penalty for social media companies that fail to comply with its under-16 ban to 99 million AUD, as the Albanese government moves to tighten enforcement against platforms it says are not doing enough to keep children off their services. The government will also introduce legislation to expand the powers of the eSafety Commissioner, allowing the regulator to compel platforms and third parties, including age-assurance and app-store providers, to produce information