Subhead:Julie Inman-Grant escalates rhetoric as under-16 ban enforcement ramps up amid patchy enforcement.#
Australia’s controversial eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant has intensified her public campaign against major social media companies, naming five global platforms while warning of tougher action over under-16 access breaches.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube have all been singled out, with Inman-Grant accusing them of falling short of expectations under the nation’s heavy-handed social media restrictions for minors.
The move marks a notable shift in tone from the regulator, who confirmed the agency is transitioning from “compliance monitoring” to an “enforcement stance” as scrutiny increases.
However, despite the strong rhetoric, Inman-Grant acknowledged the legal threshold for action remains high, noting: “The evidence must establish the platform has not taken reasonable steps to prevent children aged under 16 from having an account. That means more than simply demonstrating some children do still have accounts.”
