Meta deactivates 756,000 under-16 accounts in Australia

Meta has deactivated around 7,56,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts in Australia suspected of belonging to users under 16 since the country’s social media age restriction took effect, as authorities continue to scrutinise how effectively the landmark law is being enforced.

According to Meta, 462,000 Instagram and 2,94,000 Facebook accounts were deactivated between December 2025 and June 2026. The company said it is continuing efforts to comply with Australia’s new age-restriction law.

Australia became the first country to introduce a ban on social media accounts for children under 16, with the measure taking effect on December 10, 2025. Platforms covered by the law must prevent under-16s from maintaining or opening accounts, with the policy aimed at reducing online risks and protecting children’s health and wellbeing.

However, researchers have questioned the effectiveness of the restrictions, citing weaknesses in age-verification systems and ways for teenagers to bypass the safeguards. Australia’s regulator has also raised concerns over compliance by some platforms.

The government is seeking to double the maximum penalty for violations from A$49.5 million to A$99 million and strengthen the regulator’s investigative powers.

Meta, which previously opposed the legislation, says it is now using AI-based age detection to identify potentially underage users by analysing profile information, birthday-related images, school details and other signals. Reports from other users are also reviewed.

Meta said it is taking steps to prevent users whose accounts are deactivated for violating the age limit from simply opening new accounts.

Representatives of Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, along with government officials and regulators, are due to appear before an Australian parliamentary hearing on Friday, putting the effectiveness of the controversial restrictions back under scrutiny.