Australia's watchdog says enforcement action likely for social-media ban
By Sean Maguire ( August 19, 2026, 06:41 GMT | Insight) -- Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Wednesday that social-media platforms are likely to face enforcement action over non-compliance with the country’s under-16 social-media ban. She said the ban is intended to drive long-term cultural change rather than deliver immediate results, with eSafety’s first evaluation showing a 20 percent decrease in under-16s holding accounts. Inman Grant also said the agency is preparing for a Digital Duty of Care that would require platforms to proactively address online harms.Australia’s online-safety watchdog on Wednesday said "enforcement action" is likely against social-media companies that fail to comply with the country’s social-media ban for under-16s....
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