Meta removes 500,000 Australian underage accounts under new ban

Meta has removed more than 500,000 Australian accounts from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to comply with a new national ban on social media use for under-16s.

The ban took effect on December 10, but Meta began removing underage users a week earlier.

It removed 330,000 accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook, and 39,000 from Threads.

Australia introduced the minimum age law in 2024 to protect young people from targeted algorithms and harmful content.

Platforms covered include Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, and Kick.

Companies face fines of up to A$50 million (US$33.5 million) if they fail to enforce the rule.

The eSafety Commission said enforcement will vary by platform, with some exemptions and possible additions in the future.

🔗 Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Meta removals and reported teen usage estimates are not directly comparable

Meta removed 330,000 Instagram, 173,000 Facebook, and 39,000 Threads accounts from Australia. Anadolu Agency, an international newswire, reported about 350,000 Australians aged 13–15 on Instagram and 440,000 on Snapchat 1. Meta targeted under‑16s within an ongoing cleanup, while the estimates cover only 13–15‑year‑olds, so the figures do not line up.
The company began removing underage accounts a week before the 10 December start date for Australia’s under‑16 social media ban, and social media platforms face penalties of up to A$49.5 million for systemic breaches 1 2.

Age assurance vendors likely to see more demand as platforms add reasonable steps

Vendors that sell age checks will see near‑term demand as platforms move to meet the new rules 2. Options include biometric estimation, document verification software development kits (SDKs), and behavioral tools that infer age from usage patterns. The government‑backed Age Assurance Technology Trial in Australia found no substantial technological barriers to implementation 3.
Regulators expect social media platforms to take reasonable steps 4 1. Examples include effective age assurance and deactivation of under‑16 accounts. Platforms should also block workarounds like reactivation, duplicate accounts, or Virtual Private Network (VPN) tools. Vendors can match tools with international guidance like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2089‑2021 (Age Appropriate Digital Services Framework) 5 and with privacy rules that require destruction of age assurance data after use 2.