The Australian government has announced plans to double the maximum financial penalty for social media platforms that fail to enforce the country’s ban on users under the age of 16, as authorities move to tighten compliance with the law.

Under proposed legislation unveiled on Saturday, companies found to have committed systemic breaches of the regulations could face fines of up to Aus$99 million (about $68 million), while the country’s online safety regulator will receive expanded powers to investigate and enforce compliance.

The government said the independent eSafety Commissioner is already investigating possible non-compliance by major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the tougher measures were necessary because many social media companies had failed to adequately enforce the restrictions.

“It is clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law. There are still too many children on social media,” Albanese said, adding that the increased penalties reflected the government’s determination to ensure compliance.

Authorities said many underage users have continued to access social media by using accounts belonging to older individuals, creating fake profiles or logging in through private browsers.

The new legislation will empower the eSafety Commissioner to compel social media companies to provide evidence of the measures they have taken to prevent under-16s from opening accounts. The regulator will also be able to demand documents and information from third-party providers, including app stores and age-verification services, to verify the platforms’ claims.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said updates from the regulator indicated that some technology companies were doing only the minimum required to comply with the law.

She said the government would continue to hold the companies accountable, noting that the world’s largest social media platforms had the resources to meet their obligations.

According to the government, more than five million accounts belonging to under-16 users have been blocked since the restrictions took effect on December 10.

However, a peer-reviewed study published this month in the British Medical Journal found limited evidence that the ban had significantly reduced young people’s social media use. Researchers who surveyed more than 400 participants before and three months after the restrictions found widespread attempts to bypass the rules, with only a slight decline in usage among teenagers aged 14 to 15.

Australia’s approach has attracted international attention, with countries including Britain, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand considering or introducing similar measures.

While technology companies have pledged to comply with the regulations, they have argued that the restrictions could drive teenagers toward less regulated parts of the internet. Under the law, platforms are responsible for ensuring Australian users are at least 16 years old and must demonstrate they have taken reasonable steps to verify users’ ages, including through artificial intelligence tools or government-issued identification where necessary.