Meta has reported that it deactivated over 750,000 accounts it believes belonged to Australian users under the age of 16 on Instagram and Facebook since Australia introduced its age restriction for teenagers. The law took effect on 10 December 2024.
According to the company, between December 2024 and June 2025 it deactivated 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. Those figures represent a notable increase compared with numbers reported up to January, which were 331,000 Instagram and 173,000 Facebook accounts.
Why and how age checks are done
Australia enacted the legislation due to concerns about the physical and mental health impacts of social media on children. Meta said it uses artificial intelligence to analyse user profiles, looking for contextual signals that may indicate an account belongs to someone under 16 — for example, birthday posts or references to school year groups.
The company also said it prevents people from creating new accounts if a previous account was deleted for age-related reasons.
Government concerns and legal measures
The Australian government has accused platforms of deliberately undermining enforcement of the ban. In response, lawmakers passed a new law that doubles the maximum fine for breaches to 99 million Australian dollars (about 70 million US dollars) and gives the regulator broader inspection and document‑access powers.
The Australian internet regulator is considering legal action against platforms, including some Meta services, that it believes have not fulfilled their legal obligations.
Effectiveness and further testing
Questions remain about the ban’s effectiveness: government data and several independent studies indicate that more than 80 percent of under‑16s remained active on social platforms during the first three months after the rule came into force. Meanwhile, a 2025 Australian government test series found that commercially available age‑verification technologies can effectively support enforcement of the regulation.
On Friday, representatives from Meta, TikTok, Google (owner of YouTube) and Snapchat will appear at a parliamentary hearing to explain the measures they have taken to comply with the ban.
Summary
Meta says it has deactivated more than 750,000 Australian accounts suspected to belong to under‑16s since the ban began, using AI to spot contextual signals and blocking re‑registration after age‑related deletions. Australian regulators have tightened penalties and are considering legal action, while questions persist about how effectively the ban is preventing under‑16s from remaining active on social platforms.
(Source: Reuters)
