Meta Starts Blocking Australian Teenagers From Facebook and Instagram as Ban Looms

Australia’s new ban on social media accounts for children under 16 is beginning to take effect, with platforms removing or freezing hundreds of thousands of profiles ahead of the December 10 deadline.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant says she initially questioned the “blunt-force” approach of blocking teenagers from major platforms, but decided it was necessary after other regulatory efforts failed to make meaningful change.

“We’ve reached a tipping point,” Inman Grant says, per Reuters. “Our data is the currency that fuels these companies, and there are these powerful, harmful, deceptive design features that even adults are powerless to fight against. What chance do our children have?”

Governments overseas are watching the rollout. Inman Grant describes the Australian law as “the first domino, which is why they pushed back,” and adds lobbying from the platforms had extended to the United States, which has asked her to appear before a congressional committee. She notes that the very act of inviting her to testify demonstrates “extra-territorial reach”.

Meta’s services — Facebook, Instagram, and Threads — began shutting down accounts understood to belong to under-16s on Thursday, earlier than required. Other platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, have been notifying younger users to download their photos and contacts and either delete their accounts or freeze them until they turn 16.

A Meta spokesperson says compliance would not be a one-time task: “While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multilayered process.”

Users who lose access are still able to download their content, and will be notified when they can return. According to previous estimates from the eSafety office, about 150,000 Facebook accounts and 350,000 Instagram accounts are held by people believed to be between 13 and 15.

Threads accounts will also be affected because they require an Instagram login. Meta has not disclosed how many Threads users are under 16, though the number is expected to be a subset of Instagram.

The policy has support from some parents. Sydney resident Jennifer Jennison tells Reuters, “It’s a great thing and I’m glad that the pressure is taken off the parents because there’s so many mental health implications. Give my kids a break after school and they can rest and hang out with the family.”

Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to block underage users face fines of up to $32.7 million (A$49.5 million). Inman Grant tells a Senate hearing that she would take a “graduated risk and outcomes-based approach,” focusing on companies with the highest proportion of underage users.

Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and YouTube have been identified as subject to the ban. All except X and Reddit have said they will comply.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.