The federal government will spend $76.1 million over four years from the current financial year, and $16.9 million per year after that, to establish a minimum age of access to social media.
Under a new law passed by parliament, children under 16 are to be banned from social media
Platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit and X, will have 12 months to comply or face fines of up to $50 million.
Funding, as identified in MYEFO, the mid year budget update, includes:
- $45.7 million over four years from 2024–25 (and $12.3 million per year ongoing) for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner to provide regulatory oversight and enforcement functions
- $15.5 million over four years (and $3.5 million per year ongoing) for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to support the delivery of the government’s online safety priorities
- $10 million over two years to deliver a national public education campaign to help parents and carers, as well as young people, their educators and the community understand changes to aid the transition to a social media minimum age
- $5 million over four years (and $1.1 million per year ongoing) for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner to provide regulatory oversight of the privacy safeguards.
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