eSafety Commissioner Writes to Platforms About Compliance Requirements

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has been communicating directly with social media platforms about compliance expectations for the under-16 ban, with letters to companies like ByteDance indicating close monitoring for possible inclusion in restrictions. The proactive regulatory communications demonstrate how authorities are working to ensure comprehensive coverage beyond platforms explicitly named in initial legislation.
ByteDance’s Lemon8 app received such communications indicating the eSafety Commissioner would monitor the platform closely for possible inclusion after the scheme begins. This regulatory attention prompted Lemon8 to voluntarily implement over-16 restrictions from December 10 despite not being explicitly named in the law. The Instagram-style platform had experienced increased interest specifically because it avoided the initial ban, but chose proactive compliance over waiting for potential future legal requirements.
YouTube will also begin removing underage users on the implementation date, though parent company Google continues warning the approach eliminates crucial safety features. Rachel Lord from Google’s policy division detailed how account-based protections including parental supervision tools, content restrictions, and wellbeing reminders will become unavailable. The company argues the legislation was rushed and fundamentally misunderstands youth digital engagement patterns.
Communications Minister Anika Wells has dismissed industry concerns with unusually direct criticism, calling YouTube’s warnings “outright weird” during her National Press Club address. Wells argued that platforms highlighting their own safety problems should focus on solving those issues rather than opposing protective legislation. She emphasized that tech companies have wielded enormous power through algorithms deliberately designed to maximize teenage engagement for profit.
The government has acknowledged implementation won’t be perfect immediately, with Wells conceding it may take days or weeks to fully materialize, but emphasized authorities remain committed to the goal. The eSafety Commissioner will collect compliance data beginning December 11 with monthly updates, while platforms face penalties up to 50 million dollars. The Commissioner’s proactive communications with platforms beyond those explicitly named in legislation demonstrates Australia’s comprehensive regulatory strategy, using monitoring threats and direct engagement to influence company behavior even before formal inclusion requirements, creating broad industry pressure to voluntarily comply rather than risk future enforcement action as authorities work to prevent platforms from serving as easy alternatives for young users displaced by restrictions on major social media sites.