Australia intends to significantly increase penalties for social media platforms that fail to prevent underage children from accessing restricted services. Regulators observed that a substantial majority of children with accounts remained active on these platforms three months after the ban's implementation. The proposed legislative changes will empower the eSafety Commissioner with greater authority to request information from platforms and age verification providers. This move comes as teenagers continue to find ways to circumvent the existing regulations.The draft legislation will double the maximum fine to 99 million Australian dollars for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that do not adequately comply with the ban. Communications Minister Anika Wells criticized Big Tech, stating that the current scheme is not working effectively due to their lack of effort. She indicated a lack of improvement despite monthly updates from the online safety regulator.Furthermore, the amendments will grant the eSafety Commissioner enhanced powers to compel information from platforms and third-party age assurance technology providers. This is to verify claims made by companies about how minors bypass the restrictions. Despite initial reports of millions of accounts being removed or restricted, the eSafety Commissioner's findings revealed continued activity from children on restricted platforms. The Commissioner has previously considered legal action against some platforms for failing to take reasonable steps to exclude children. An opposition lawmaker suggested supporting reforms but attributed the initial shortcomings to the original legislation lacking sufficient powers for the eSafety Commissioner.