Meta Begins Shutting Down Under-16 Accounts in Australia

On December 4, 2023, Meta began shutting down approximately 500,000 accounts of users under the age of 16 on Facebook and Instagram in Australia. This action comes ahead of a new law set to take effect on December 10, which prohibits social media accounts for users under this age.

According to the eSafety Commissioner, there are around 150,000 Facebook accounts and 350,000 Instagram accounts held by individuals believed to be between the ages of 13 and 15. Meta has also initiated measures to block the creation of new accounts for users under 16, emphasizing the ongoing compliance with the law will involve a multilayered process.

A Meta spokesperson stated, 'If you're under 16, you can still preserve and download your digital history across Instagram, Threads, and Facebook.' Users will receive notifications about regaining access to their accounts once they turn 16, with their content restored as it was left.

As a result of this ban, under-16 users will be unable to hold accounts on Threads since it requires an Instagram account. In November, Meta informed users it identified as under 16 about the impending deactivation, along with appeals processes for those wrongly categorized.

Communications Minister Anika Wells highlighted the urgency of this law enforcement, stating that if a child possesses a social media account on December 10, the platform is violating the law. Wells also acknowledged that while perfection is not expected, there is a strong desire for platforms to make significant efforts in child safety.

If compliance is not observed, platforms face potential fines of up to $49.5 million AUD for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent underage accounts. Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, noted her focus on platforms with the highest proportion of underage users, stating, 'We will be taking a graduated risk and outcomes-based approach to compliance and enforcement.' The government has identified several social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch, and X, that must implement the ban by December 10.

Most of these companies have expressed their commitment to comply with the new regulations, except for X and Reddit, which have yet to respond to requests for comment.