Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, said on Thursday that it had removed more than 750,000 accounts suspected to belong to Australians under the age of 16 since Australia’s world-first social media ban for teenagers took effect.
The company said it deactivated 462,000 suspected underage Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between the period before the ban came into effect in December and June. The figures represent a significant increase from the 331,000 Instagram and 173,000 Facebook accounts Meta reported removing by January.
Meta said it remained committed to complying with the Australian law, despite its opposition to the legislation, as the country’s internet regulator considers possible legal action against social media platforms over alleged failures to take adequate steps to enforce the ban.
The company also indicated that further action could be taken as regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms intensifies.
No other social media platforms have released compliance figures covering the same period as Meta. However, Australian government data and several independent studies indicate that more than 80 per cent of under-16s remained active on social media during the ban’s first three months.
The landmark law, proposed by the Australian government and introduced on December 10, was driven by concerns over the impact of social media on the physical and mental wellbeing of children and young teenagers.
As other countries consider similar age restrictions, Australian authorities have accused social media platforms of deliberately undermining the ban. The government has also moved to strengthen enforcement by doubling the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million (NZ$120 million) and granting the regulator broader powers to compel the disclosure of documents.
