Meta has begun removing children aged under 16 from Instagram, Facebook and Threads a week before the Australia social media ban comes into force. The move follows its announcement last month that users aged 13 to 15 would begin receiving notices that their accounts would be shut down from 4 December.
An estimated 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts are expected to be affected. Threads, which is linked to Instagram, will also be impacted by the Australia social media ban due to shared account infrastructure.
Australia’s world-first social media restrictions begin on 10 December, with companies facing fines of up to A$49.5m (€28m, £25m) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from having accounts.
Meta calls for app-store age checks
A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that compliance “will be an ongoing and multi-layered process”, adding that a more standardised, privacy-preserving system was needed. The company argues that app stores should be responsible for verifying the age of users when they download apps, including requiring parental approval for under-16s. This, it said, would prevent teenagers from repeatedly verifying their age across different platforms.
Last month, Meta said users identified as under 16 would be able to download and save their posts, videos and messages before deactivation. Those who believe they have been wrongly categorised can request a review and submit a video selfie, driver’s licence or government-issued ID.
Wide impact across major platforms
In addition to Meta’s three platforms, other sites subject to the Australia social media ban include YouTube, X, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick and Twitch.
The government says the ban aims to protect children from online harms. Critics argue it may isolate vulnerable groups who rely on social platforms for social connection, and could push children towards less-regulated spaces.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Wednesday that while she expected early “teething problems”, the law is designed to protect Generation Alpha — anyone under 15 — and future generations. She warned that predatory algorithms act like “behavioural cocaine”, keeping children hooked in what she called a “dopamine drip”.
Wells added that she is monitoring lesser-known apps such as Lemon8 and Yope to see whether children migrate to alternative platforms.
New apps under scrutiny
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has asked Lemon8 and Yope to self-assess whether they fall under the ban.
Yope CEO Bahram Ismailau told the BBC that the company had already conducted an assessment, concluding it is not a social media platform because it functions as a “fully private messenger” without public content.
Lemon8 has reportedly said it will exclude under-16s from next week, despite not being officially included in the ban.
YouTube, initially exempt but later added, described the law as “rushed”, arguing that banning children from accounts — which include parental controls — will make the platform “less safe”.
Australia’s pioneering restrictions are being closely watched internationally. A government study earlier this year found that 96% of Australian children aged 10–15 used social media, with most exposed to harmful content such as misogyny, violence, eating disorder material and suicide-related content. One in seven reported grooming-type behaviour, and more than half had experienced cyberbullying.
Source: BBC
Read also: Australia social media ban for under-16s raises global questions
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
