After Australia decided to ban users younger than 16 from having social media accounts, Meta complied. The number of deleted accounts exceeds the population of Canberra, the country’s capital city.
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Meta removed approximately 550,000 accounts belonging to users under 16 years old in Australia between December 4-11, 2025.
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Despite complying with the law, Meta expressed concerns that the ban could isolate young users from supportive online communities and potentially drive them toward less regulated alternative platforms.
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Australia became the first country in the world to ban under-16s from major social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, with non-compliant platforms facing fines of up to AUD $49.5 million ($33 million.
Meta has provided an update following the implementation of Australia’s social media ban for users under 16 years old in December 2025.
The end of 2025 marked the start of Australia’s under-16s ban, which prohibits users younger than 16 from using social media.
A month after the country enforced the social media age sanctions, Meta provided an update on how it undertook this “compliance with the law.”
The company stated that, starting December 11th, 2025, Meta withdrew access to approximately 550,000 accounts created by users under 16 years old.
According to the data, the platform with the most accounts banned was Instagram (330,639 accounts), while the least number of accounts were removed from Threads (39,916).
These social media accounts were removed between December 4th and 11th.
Australia became the first country to impose a ban on accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads for individuals under the age of 16.
The platforms that don’t comply with this law risk getting fines of up to AUD $49.5 million ($33 million).
While Australia’s social media ban law was created due to the risks these platforms may pose to younger users, Meta's blog post argues why this law may also have a negative effect on those under 16 years old.
The company states that some users will be “isolated from getting support from online communities.”
This ban also prompts younger users to seek social media app alternatives, which are considered “less regulated.”
Meta also notes that “inconsistent age verification methods across industry” and “little interest in compliance from many teens and parents” are also of concern.
After Australia’s social media ban law took effect, ten social media platforms were banned from being used by those under 16 years old.
These include:
- TikTok
- Threads
- X
- Youtube
- Snapchat
- Kick
- Twitch
Before the official ban, Meta provided a two-week notice to its underage Australian users, notifying 13- and 15-year-old users that their social media accounts would be shut down.
Among the options to download their data or delete their accounts, young users can also update their contact information to be notified when they turn 16 and regain access to their social media accounts.
To prevent users under 16 years of age from using Meta platforms, the company has implemented age verification tools, such as checking users’ ages through a selfie video.
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