Meta has begun removing users under the age of 16 from Instagram, Facebook and Threads in Australia, as the country prepares to enforce a world-first youth social media ban on December 10. The new law requires major online platforms—including TikTok and YouTube—to block underage users or face financial penalties of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million) for non-compliance.
In a statement on Thursday, a Meta spokesperson said the company was taking “multi-layered” steps to comply before the deadline, while acknowledging that enforcement would remain an ongoing process. The tech giant confirmed that affected young users will be able to download their data and eventually regain access once they turn 16, with their accounts restored “exactly as they left it.”
The law is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of teenagers. Instagram alone estimated about 350,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15—a demographic now set to lose access within days. While some platforms, including Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp, are exempt for now, the list is still under government review.
Meta insisted it supports the new regulatory direction but argued that app stores, not platforms, should verify users’ ages.
“The government should require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval whenever teens under 16 download apps,” the company said, adding that this would prevent minors from repeatedly proving their age across multiple services.
YouTube sharply criticised the legislation this week, warning that younger Australians might simply access the site without logging in—stripping them of safety filters that only function on verified accounts. Australia’s Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed the concern as “weird,” saying the platform should not be reminding the public that its unfiltered content is unsafe.
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Wells cited tragic cases in which vulnerable teens were exposed to harmful algorithmic recommendations. “This law will not fix every harm occurring on the internet,” she said, “but it will make it easier for kids to chase a better version of themselves.”
The sweeping restrictions have sparked a legal battle. The Digital Freedom Project has lodged a High Court challenge, calling the reforms an unreasonable curb on free expression. Regulators, meanwhile, acknowledge the likelihood of determined minors attempting to bypass controls using fake IDs or AI-altered photos. Platforms have been told to develop robust detection systems, with the safety watchdog admitting that “no solution is likely to be 100 percent effective.”
Australia’s experiment is drawing global scrutiny as governments grapple with the risks of unregulated youth access to social media. Malaysia and New Zealand have signalled plans for similar age-based restrictions in 2025, marking a growing international shift toward stricter digital protections for children.