Australia’s controversial eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant has intensified her public campaign against major social media companies, naming five global platforms while warning of tougher action over under-16 access breaches.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube have all been singled out, with Inman-Grant accusing them of falling short of expectations under the nation’s heavy-handed social media restrictions for minors.

The move marks a notable shift in tone from the regulator, who confirmed the agency is transitioning from “compliance monitoring” to an “enforcement stance” as scrutiny increases.

However, despite the strong rhetoric, Inman-Grant acknowledged the legal threshold for action remains high, noting: “The evidence must establish the platform has not taken reasonable steps to prevent children aged under 16 from having an account. That means more than simply demonstrating some children do still have accounts.”

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“Rather, the evidence must show the platform has not implemented appropriate systems and processes,” she said.

Among the concerns raised are claims platforms have allowed repeated attempts at age verification, or prompted children to bypass safeguards even when their age had already been flagged as under 16 prior to the ban.

There are also complaints about weak reporting pathways and insufficient barriers to prevent new underage accounts from being created.

Inman-Grant has now called for what she describes as a “significant safety uplift,” warning companies they face mounting penalties if they fail to comply.

“Durable, generational change takes time ... but these platforms have the capability to comply today and we certainly expect companies operating in Australia to comply with our safety laws,” she said.

“They can choose to do so or face escalating consequences, including profound reputational erosion with governments and consumers globally.”

Communications Minister Anika Wells backed the stance, saying efforts to “undermine Australia’s world-leading law” were “right out of the big tech playbook”.