Meta says it has taken down 756,000 Australian teen accounts as ban enforcement looms
Meta said it removed 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts as Australia’s teen social media ban drove enforcement.
- On Thursday, Meta announced it deactivated more than 750,000 accounts suspected of belonging to Australians under 16, including 462,000 Instagram and 294,000 Facebook profiles since Australia's December ban on teen social media.
- The Australian Government implemented a world-first teen social media ban on December 10, 2025, citing concerns about young people's mental and physical health. Recent legislation doubled non-compliance penalties to A$99 million to enforce the restriction.
- Meta employs AI to analyse "contextual clues that an account may belong to someone under 16, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades." The company also rolled out photo-based age estimation software.
- Despite Meta's removals, Australian government figures and independent studies show more than eight in 10 under-16s remained on social media during the ban's first three months. Representatives from Meta, TikTok, YouTube owner Google, and Snap will testify tomorrow at a parliamentary inquiry.
- As other countries worldwide consider similar age-restrictions, the Australian Government has accused platforms of intentionally setting the ban up to fail, citing a 2025 trial showing age-assurance technology could effectively support such restrictions.
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64 Articles
Meta says it's shut down 750,000 under-16 accounts in Australia
Meta Platforms Inc says it has removed access to more than 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia believed to belong to people under 16 since it began complying with the country's landmark youth social media ban last year.
Meta blocked 756,000 youth accounts by June of this year to comply with Australia's law banning social media for those under 16. Although it has introduced AI age estimation technology and is blocking account creation, usage rates remain high, prompting the Australian government to implement strong regulatory measures, such as raising fines.
Meta has announced the closure of 750,000 accounts, suspected of belonging to Australian boys under the 16 year old bar: 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. The announcement arrived after the doubling of fines against big tech, from 49.5 to 99 million Australian dollars, wanted by Canberra at the end of June. The minister of the [...] The article Social and Minor, Meta announces the closure of 750,000 Australian children's …
National Post
GrowCola.comMeta says it has axed 750,000 Facebook and Instagram youth accounts in Australia
Meta Platforms Inc. says it has removed access to more than 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia believed to belong to people under 16 since it began complying with the country’s landmark youth social media ban last year.
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