Social media corporations continue to extract value from underage users in Australia, as government efforts to enforce a ban on children younger than 16 from their platforms are widely reported as failing. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the government is considering options to strengthen the ban, acknowledging the current legislation has not prevented widespread youth access.
The Australian government's ban, which came into force on Dec. 10 last year, made Australia the first country globally to legislate against youth social media access. However, eSafety’s own data, released in March of the same year, revealed that seven in 10 underage children continued to hold accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. A study published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday of the same week further indicated that 85% of a group of Australian 12 to 17-year-olds were using restricted platforms.
Who Profits from Youth Data
Observers note that the government's proposed reforms are a direct response to the ban's failure, which has allowed platforms to continue their model of data and engagement surplus extraction from young users. Lisa Given, an expert on information sciences at Melbourne’s RMIT University, stated, “I do think it’s failing.” Given also reported that “Many kids in the media have reported that they also think that this is really a failed exercise.”
These platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Kick, Reddit, Threads, and Twitch, face potential fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts belonging to young children. In April of the same year, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant announced she was considering court action against several of these corporations, alleging insufficient efforts to keep young Australian children off their platforms. The financial penalties represent a mere cost of doing business for these global corporations, which continue to benefit from the engagement and data generated by underage users, demonstrating the prioritization of profit over public welfare.
The State's Limited Reach
Prime Minister Albanese stated on Friday that the government is questioning whether existing laws are as strong as possible and whether eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant possesses every necessary power. The government plans to proceed with digital duty of care legislation, aiming to hold platforms accountable for foreseeable harms caused by their content and algorithms. This legislative effort represents an attempt by the state apparatus to manage the social contradictions arising from unchecked corporate profit motives, without fundamentally altering the economic model of data extraction that underpins these corporations' wealth accumulation.
Inman Grant was quoted in an interview in early June of the same month by The Sydney Morning Herald saying, “I don’t have potent powers.” She further stated, “What I would say is a regulator is only as good as the tools and the resources that they’re given.” This admission highlights the inherent limitations of state regulatory bodies when confronted with the immense economic power and resistance of transnational corporations. Given emphasized that Inman Grant faces a significant challenge in enforcing legislation that platforms are actively resisting, suggesting that either the Commissioner requires more powers or a different enforcement approach is needed. Given expects courts will ultimately be tasked with defining what constitutes “reasonable steps” for platforms to comply with the law, further delaying effective action.
Failed Reforms and Systemic Contradictions
Australia's initial ban and the proposed strengthening of enforcement reflect a global trend of states attempting to regulate the social media industry. Britain announced plans last week of the same month to ban children under 16 from various platforms. Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia have introduced legislation or announced age-based restrictions, while France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches. These international efforts underscore a systemic challenge where the profit-driven design of social media platforms inherently conflicts with public welfare, and state-led reforms struggle to address the root causes of value extraction from all users, regardless of age, ultimately preserving the foundations of capital accumulation.