Meta has begun removing users under the age of 16 from Instagram, Facebook, and Threads in Australia, moving early to comply with the country’s world-first ban on young people using major social media platforms. The crackdown comes ahead of a December 10 deadline, when the new law officially takes effect.
Under the legislation, large platforms including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube must block underage users or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million). The law requires companies to take “reasonable steps” to prevent children from accessing age-restricted services, shifting responsibility squarely onto tech firms.
Meta said the account removals have already started and will continue over the coming weeks. A company spokesperson described compliance as an ongoing process, noting that identifying underage users at scale involves multiple safeguards rather than a single solution. Affected users will be allowed to download and save their data before losing access.
Meta said younger users will be notified before their accounts are removed and reassured that their content will be restored once they turn 16. Instagram alone estimates it has around 350,000 Australian users between the ages of 13 and 15, meaning hundreds of thousands of teenagers are expected to be impacted.
While pledging to follow the law, Meta renewed calls for app stores to shoulder more responsibility. The company argued that Apple and Google should be required to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before allowing teens to download apps. Meta said a centralised system would reduce repeated age checks and help platforms deliver age-appropriate experiences more reliably.
The new rules have sparked pushback from other tech giants. YouTube warned the ban could make young Australians less safe, arguing that under-16s would still be able to browse content without accounts but lose access to safety features and filters. Australia’s Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed that criticism, calling it “weird” and suggesting it exposed deeper problems with platform moderation.
Wells said the law was driven by concerns over algorithm-driven content harming teenagers’ mental health. She cited cases where young people were repeatedly served damaging material that eroded self-esteem, sometimes with fatal consequences. While acknowledging the law is not a cure-all, she said it gives children space to develop without constant online pressure.
The ban faces legal resistance. The Digital Freedom Project has launched a High Court challenge, arguing the law unfairly restricts free expression. Regulators also admit enforcement will be imperfect, with teens likely to attempt workarounds using fake IDs or AI-altered images.
Despite the challenges, governments worldwide are watching closely. Malaysia and New Zealand have already signalled plans for similar restrictions, making Australia a global test case for youth social media regulation.
