Meta Removes More Than 750,000 Suspected Under-16 Accounts in Australia
Meta removes hundreds of thousands of suspected under-16 accounts in Australia.
Meta has removed more than 750,000 accounts it suspected belonged to Australians under 16 since Australia introduced its world-first social media age ban, the company said Thursday.
The company said it deactivated about 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between shortly before the ban took effect in December and June. The latest figure represents a sharp increase from the 331,000 Instagram and 173,000 Facebook accounts Meta reported removing by January.
Meta says it is complying with Australia’s law despite previously opposing the restrictions. The company has also warned that enforcement will continue and that the number of removed accounts is likely to rise.
Australia introduced the landmark ban on December 10 amid concerns about the effects of social media on children’s physical and mental wellbeing. The rules prevent people under 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms.
The policy has faced challenges from technology companies and concerns about how effectively platforms can verify users’ ages. Australian government data and independent studies have indicated that more than eight in 10 under-16s continued using social media during the first three months of the restrictions.
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The country’s internet regulator is now considering legal action against platforms it believes have not done enough to comply with the law. The government has also proposed increasing the maximum penalty for violations to A$99 million ($69.75 million).
Meta expands its age-detection measures
Meta said it uses artificial intelligence to identify accounts that may belong to users under 16. Its systems examine contextual clues, including birthday posts, references to school grades and other information available on profiles.
The company also reviews reports about suspected underage accounts. Meta said it has introduced additional measures to prevent users from repeatedly creating new accounts after the platform removes an account for suspected age violations.
The Australian government has argued that social media companies should take stronger responsibility for protecting children online. Other countries are also examining similar age restrictions.
A 2025 Australian trial found that available age-assurance technologies could support the implementation of an under-16 social media ban. Several major platforms, including Meta’s services, have introduced photo-based age estimation tools.
Meta says it often first uses age inference based on a user’s online activity before requesting additional verification.
Representatives from Meta, TikTok, Google and Snap are due to appear before an Australian parliamentary inquiry on Friday. Government and regulatory officials will also give evidence as lawmakers examine the implementation of the new restrictions.
Meta said enforcement remains ongoing and that it shares the government’s objective of providing young people with safer, age-appropriate online experiences.
