Tech giant Meta announced on Thursday that it has started removing users under 16 years of age in Australia from Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, in preparation for the country’s world-first youth social media ban.
The Australian law, which comes into effect on December 10, requires major online platforms—including TikTok and YouTube—to block underage users. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply could face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).
A Meta spokesperson said, “While we are working hard to remove all users we understand to be under 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process.”
Meta also clarified that younger users will have the opportunity to save and download their online histories.
“Before you turn 16, we will notify you that you can regain access to these platforms, and your content will be restored exactly as you left it,” the spokesperson added.
The ban is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of adolescents, with Instagram alone reporting roughly 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15.
Some apps and platforms, including Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp, are currently exempt, though the list is still under review.
Meta expressed support for the law but argued that app stores should take more responsibility for age verification.
“The government should require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval whenever teens under 16 download apps, eliminating the need for teens to verify their age multiple times across different apps,” the spokesperson said. “Platforms could then use this verified information to ensure age-appropriate experiences.”
YouTube also criticized the ban, warning that under-16s could still access the website without an account but would lose key safety filters. However, Australia’s communications minister dismissed the argument as “weird.”
Self-esteem
“If YouTube is reminding us all that it is not safe and there’s content not appropriate for age-restricted users on their website, that’s a problem that YouTube needs to fix,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said this week.
Wells told reporters some Australian teens had killed themselves as algorithms “latched on” — targeting them with content that drained their self-esteem.
“This specific law will not fix every harm occurring on the internet, but it will make it easier for kids to chase a better version of themselves,” she said.
An internet rights group last week launched a legal challenge to halt the ban.
The Digital Freedom Project said it had challenged the laws in Australia’s High Court, calling them an “unfair” assault on freedom of speech.
Australia expects rebellious teens will do their best to skirt the laws. Guidelines warn they might try to upload fake IDs or use AI to make their photos appear older.
Platforms are expected to devise their own means to stop this happening, but “no solution is likely to be 100 percent effective”, the internet safety watchdog has said.
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the potential dangers of social media.
Malaysia indicated it was planning to block children under 16 from signing up to social media accounts next year, while New Zealand will introduce a similar ban.
