SYDNEY: Australia has doubled the penalty for social media platforms that fail to comply with its ban on under-16s, a move that sources confirm is being watched closely by Whitehall. The new fines, which now reach AUD 50 million (£25 million), are designed to force tech giants to enforce age verification and content restrictions. A senior Australian regulator told me: 'We are done asking nicely. The platforms have had years to self-regulate. Now we take their money.' The legislation, passed in the early hours of Friday, also requires platforms to prove they have removed harmful content within 24 hours or face criminal liability for senior executives.
Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that the British government has been in contact with Canberra for weeks. A Whitehall source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed: 'We are looking at a similar mechanism. The Online Safety Act gave us powers, but we need teeth.' The source added that the Prime Minister is 'personally interested' in the Australian model. The revelation comes as the UK’s Online Safety Bill enters its final stages, with critics arguing it lacks enforceable penalties for systemic failures.
Meanwhile, inside the tech giants, panic is setting in. Internal emails from a major platform, leaked to this newsroom, show executives discussing 'operational chaos' and 'legal exposure in multiple jurisdictions.' One email reads: 'If every country does this, we cannot scale compliance. We need a global standard or we are dead.' The company declined to comment, but a former employee confirmed: 'They are terrified of jail time for executives. That changes everything.'
The Australian penalty hike follows a spate of suicides linked to online harm, including the death of a 14-year-old girl in Melbourne whose parents blamed unregulated social media. The government’s own review found that platforms had removed only 12% of flagged harmful content within 48 hours. 'This is not a liberty issue. This is a public health emergency,' said the regulator.
In London, the Home Office confirmed it is 'monitoring the Australian approach' but declined to say when a decision would be made. A spokesperson said: 'We are committed to making the UK the safest place to be online, but we must balance that with free expression.' That balancing act, however, is wearing thin. MPs from all parties have called for 'immediate action,' with one Labour MP telling me: 'We cannot afford to be seen as soft on Big Tech. The public is demanding action.'
The Australian penalty is now the highest in the world for social media violations. Experts predict a domino effect, with Canada and the EU expected to follow within months. 'This is the beginning of the end for platform impunity,' said a digital rights lawyer. But critics warn that the law could be used to suppress dissent. 'Australia has no bill of rights. This is a dangerous precedent,' said a free speech advocate.
For now, the tech giants are scrambling. A lobbyist for one major platform admitted: 'We underestimated the political will. We thought it was all talk. Now we are paying the price.' The penalty doubles again in 18 months if compliance targets are not met. The message from Canberra is clear: pay up or get out.
