Australia Threatens Legal Action Against Meta, Google Over Child Safety Violations
Australia's eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant is preparing potential lawsuits against five major tech platforms—Facebook (Meta), Instagram, YouTube (Google), Snapchat, and TikTok—for systemic failures to block underage users. Despite new regulations requiring age verification, millions of Australian minors reportedly maintain active accounts through bypass methods.
The looming penalties could reach AU$49.5M (US$33M) per violation, with a final enforcement decision expected mid-2024. This regulatory crackdown mirrors Indonesia's recent actions against Meta and Google, signaling growing global scrutiny of Big Tech's compliance gaps.
Notably absent from investigations are crypto-heavy platforms like Reddit (with its blockchain-based Community Points) and Twitch (which integrates crypto tipping). The outcome may indirectly impact Web3 adoption curves as regulators balance safety protocols with innovation thresholds.