The Federal Court of Australia fined X (formerly Twitter) around $465,000 USD in a decision on Thursday. The fine stems from the company’s failure to disclose information to Australia’s online safety watchdog regarding the steps it had taken to prevent child exploitation on the site. X has also been ordered to pay the $71,000 court fees of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.
Australia’s Online Safety Act requires social media companies to provide greater transparency as to the steps being taken to adhere to Australia’s Basic Online Safety Expectations. After a three-year legal battle, it was decided that X failed to disclose information by the required date and must pay the fine. X argued that it was under no obligation to disclose this information to the Digital Safety Commissioner. However, the court rejected this argument.
Australia is currently leading the way in the global pushback against social media tech giants. In December 2025, the country enacted its famous social media ban for anyone under the age of 16, with more countries following suit, such as Greece, Türkiye, Malaysia, and Indonesia, as well as calls from within the EU. These efforts have sparked criticism over effectiveness and noncompliance.
This case in particular follows along a greater pattern of courts using civil proceedings to regulate the power of tech companies in lieu of domestic legislation, especially as it pertains to social media’s disproportionate harm against children.
Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, said:
In early 2023, we asked some of the world’s biggest technology companies, including Twitter, to report on steps they were taking to comply with the Australian Basic Online Safety Expectations in relation to the proliferation of child sexual exploitation and abuse materials on their platforms […] This is not only a key part of our work as Australia’s online safety regulator, it also provides the Australian public with important information about how these companies are tackling the worst-of-the-worst content on their platforms.
