Meta has started removing users under 16 in Australia from Instagram, Threads, and Facebook ahead of the country’s new youth social media ban.
Australia now requires major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to block underage users by December 10. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply face heavy fines.
A Meta spokesperson said the company is working to remove all users identified as under 16 before the deadline, adding that compliance will be “ongoing and multi-layered.” Younger users will be able to save and download their online histories, and Meta says they will regain access and have their content restored once they turn 16.
The ban is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of adolescents, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 users in Australia aged 13 to 15. Some platforms — including Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp — are exempt, but that list may change.
Meta said it supports the law but urged the government to place responsibility on app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval when teens under 16 download apps. The company argued that this would prevent teens from having to verify their age across multiple platforms.
