Australia has become the first country in the world to ban users under 16 from accessing social media. This is not limited to Facebook, Snap and Instagram but also includes video streaming platforms such as YouTube. Yesterday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would increase the maximum fine on platform owners to AUD$99 million (~RM 278 million) if they fail to comply with the law.
This is almost double the original fine of AUD$49.5 million (~RM 139 million) announced last year. The almost double increase is due to reports of under-16 blocking in Australia currently failing to enforce it.
Albanese also announced that the Australian eSafety Commissioner is actively investigating the failure of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube to comply with the law that came into effect on 10 December 2025.
In Malaysia, platforms that fail to block access by users under the age of 16 can be fined RM10 million (~ AUD$2.54 million) under the Child Protection Code (CPC) enshrined in the Online Safety Act (ONSA) since 1 June 2026.
