Australia moves toward legal action against major social platforms over failure to block underage users

Australia’s top internet safety official said Tuesday she might take five major social media companies to court, claiming they have failed to stop children under 16 from using their services.

Julie Inman Grant, who runs Australia’s eSafety office, released her first review since new rules kicked in, requiring 10 platforms to shut down all accounts belonging to Australians under 16. The platforms now under scrutiny are Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube.

The review found that although five million Australian accounts were shut down, many young people are still able to keep their accounts, set up new ones, and bypass the age-checking systems these companies use.

Inman Grant said her office has serious worries about whether half of the ten platforms are actually following the rules. Her team is now building a case that these five companies have not done enough to stop young children from having accounts.

If the matter goes to court and the platforms lose, judges could impose penalties of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars, about 33 million U.S. dollars, for widespread failures to meet the requirements. The eSafety office will make its final decision on whether to proceed with court cases by the middle of this year.

The platforms not currently under investigation are Reddit, X, Kick, Threads, and Twitch.

Anika Wells, Australia’s Communications Minister, said the five companies being looked at are deliberately choosing not to follow Australian law.

Indonesia is taking similar steps. The country put new rules into place last week that require social media companies operating what it considers risky platforms to close the accounts of anyone under 16.

Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s Communications and Digital Minister, pointed to Meta and Google as companies breaking the law. Both were called in on Monday for official checks. The ministry has warned that companies that refuse to put these limits in place could face penalties or even the complete blocking of their platforms.

Hafid said Meta and Google fought against these restrictions from day one. The ministry also labeled Roblox and TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, as high-risk platforms. Warning letters were sent to both companies, telling them to comply fully or face a summons. Neither TikTok nor Roblox responded when asked for comment.

Internet use in Indonesia reached 80.66 percent in 2025, according to the Indonesian Internet Service Providers’ Association. Among people aged 13 to 28, often called Gen Z, the rate jumped to 87.8 percent. Indonesia has roughly 70 million children under 16, according to Hafid.

Meta is trying hard to boost engagement even more

Even as regulators in Australia and Indonesia move against Meta for failing to keep young users off its platforms, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday that it is testing a paid subscription service on Instagram that offers features designed to keep users engaged longer on the app.

The service, called Instagram Plus, gives paying members the ability to view Stories without the person who posted them knowing they watched. Subscribers can also see how many times others have rewatched their Stories and create as many custom lists as they want to share Stories with specific groups.

Other benefits include stretching a Story to last an extra 24 hours and highlighting one Story each week, so it appears first for followers. Subscribers can send animated Superlikes on other people’s Stories and search through their viewer lists instead of scrolling through everyone who watched.

These features encourage exactly the kind of extended time spent on social media that regulators worldwide are trying to reduce for young users. Social media posts show the service is being tested in Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Monthly costs are around 39 Mexican pesos (about $2.20), 319 Japanese yen (roughly $2), and 65 Philippine pesos (approximately $1.07).

This new subscription differs from Meta Verified, which targets content creators and businesses. Instagram Plus aims at regular everyday users instead.

The timing of the Instagram Plus testing comes as evidence mounts about social media’s effects on young people. Last week, a California jury decided Meta and YouTube were responsible for causing a teenager’s social media addiction. The jury sided with the family 10-2, finding that Meta purposely built an addictive product that harmed the teen and led to body image problems and self-harm.

Meta must pay $4.2 million in damages, while YouTube owes $1.8 million. However, as Cryptopolitan reported earlier, these fines can be too easy for Big Tech giants to pay.

Stocks rise despite regulatory pressure

Shares of companies facing regulatory pressure rose in morning trading on Tuesday. Meta Platforms’ stock rose $21.67 to $558.05, up 4.04 percent. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, climbed $6.20 to $279.34, a gain of 2.27 percent.

Roblox Corporation shares increased $2.24 to $54.13, up 4.33 percent, while Snap Inc. stock added $0.0750 to reach $4.1150, rising 1.86 percent. The increases came despite mounting regulatory challenges and the potential for legal action from Australia’s eSafety Office.

The regulatory measures also miss a point. Despite new rules, young people keep finding ways around age checks, often using virtual private networks. This means the teenagers most at risk might also be the best at dodging restrictions.

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