Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said she expects court action against five major platforms over alleged failures under the country's under-16 social media rules, which carry corporate penalties of up to A$109.2 million.
Bloomberg reported that Wells made the remarks in a Sydney interview on Oct. 19. She said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant was collecting material for potential proceedings using expanded investigative powers. Those powers allow her to require companies to provide records and call current or former employees to answer questions.
In a March update, eSafety said it was investigating five services: Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta Platforms, along with Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. The investigations concern possible failures to meet the law's requirements.
In an evaluation released July 31, eSafety found that most under-16 users who had accounts before the restrictions began could continue using them or open new ones at the three-month follow-up. The agency identified ineffective age checks as the main reason accounts persisted. The evaluation measured how the restrictions were working; it did not determine whether any platform had broken the law.
Australia's restrictions took effect Dec. 10, 2025. They require platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent underage users from holding social media accounts and are intended to protect children from harmful online content. A court can impose a corporate penalty of up to A$109.2 million for a breach; the maximum is not an automatic fine. Platforms carry the compliance duty and potential financial penalty.
Bloomberg reported that Meta Platforms and eSafety had no immediate comment on Wells' remarks. The outlet also said Snap, TikTok and parent ByteDance, and Google, YouTube's parent, had not responded to requests for comment. Wells described evidence collection as preparation for a case but gave no filing date.
