<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian children under 16 are expected to attempt to bypass the social media ban, but what are the consequences for doing so?</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The world-first ban will increase age restrictions for Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, Reddit, X, YouTube, Twitch and Kick from December 10.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The eSafety Commission will oversee the enforcement and issue any penalties for non-compliance.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-ban-noah-jones-high-court-challenge/5c7ef214-ec74-4fd6-97ce-cb0fc88fa333" rel="" target="_blank" title="Noah learnt about the social media ban on social media. Now, he's fighting it in court"><strong><span>Noah learnt about the social media ban on social media. Now, he's fighting it in court</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here is a breakdown of what is at stake if children under 16 access banned platforms. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What are the penalties for children under 16?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The federal government acknowledges that the ban will not be "100 per cent effective" in preventing children under 16 from accessing restricted social media platforms and that they will find their ways around it.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-ban-australia-penalties-children-platforms-explainer/63ac14f5-2bd8-4747-9622-e84f539b64c0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Some of that is going to happen, but that's what teenagers do," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The onus, however, lies on social media platforms and not children who bypass the rules.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There is no penalty for children under 16 who access restricted social media platforms, or their parents or guardians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The eSafety Commission said the ban is about "protecting young people, not punishing or isolating them".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/eraring-power-station-closure-risks-outages-across-nsw/26839aa6-77fb-4e75-a581-8c1fe324226e" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Millions facing more electricity outages when critical power plant closes</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>What are the penalties for social media platforms?</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Platforms face hefty penalties if they do not take "reasonable steps" to prevent children under 16 from having accounts. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The eSafety Commission defines reasonable steps as enforcing the age restriction in a just and appropriate way, including finding and removing existing accounts, preventing new accounts and workarounds and having processes to correct errors if someone is mistakenly missed or included in the restriction.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>If a platform fails to do so, a court can order civil penalties, including fines of up to $49.5 million.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/childcare-educator-pay-rise-more-than-268000-aussies-to-receive-an-extra-160-per-week/17350048-fbe4-458e-b8b2-96b3acdfe4c4" rel="" target="_blank" title="More than 268,000 Aussies to receive an extra $160 per week "><strong><span>More than 268,000 Aussies to receive an extra $160 per week</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>How will these penalties be enforced? </span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The eSafety Commission will monitor and enforce any penalties for non-compliance in accordance with the law.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It may also pursue court action. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My powers don't come into effect until December 10, and that's when we'll start gathering information notices, we've been working on compliance plans, we've been engaging and telling companies," Inman Grant said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We've been talking to them for over a year, so this should be a surprise to none of them."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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