Australia’s Labor government is set to introduce new legislation that would double financial penalties for social media companies violating the country’s under-16 ban and grant the eSafety Commissioner stronger authority to demand internal records. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that major tech platforms are failing to meet their legal obligations, citing that many children remain active on these services months after the ban took effect in December. Communications Minister Anika Wells described the current compliance process as inadequate, noting that companies have not been required to provide verifiable evidence. The move follows research showing roughly 85 percent of teenagers still using social media despite the restrictions, and the eSafety Commissioner’s previous admission that existing enforcement powers were too weak.