Australia is considering beefing up the penalties it can issue to major online platforms such as Meta and X – citing overseas countries that fine companies up to $35 million – under a review of the nation’s online safety regime to be finished by late this year.
Rowland said Australia’s laws had been world-leading but were not “set and forget”. “That’s why our government brought forward the statutory review to ensure these laws remain responsive to the rapidly changing digital environment,” she said. The maximum penalty the Australian government can issue tech companies that fail to comply with orders is a fine of $782,500. While in circumstances this can increase for every day a platform refuses to comply, the review said that “broadly speaking”, Australia had not kept pace with overseas practice.
“This review offers an opportunity to consider whether Australia’s regulatory framework would benefit from further alignment with other jurisdictions,” it says.