Meta says it removed 756,000 Australian teen accounts
Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said it had taken down more than 750,000 accounts it suspected were held by Australians aged under 16 since a world-first ban on teen accounts, and promised more action in the face of possible regulatory intervention.
Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has removed over 750,000 accounts it believes belong to Australian teenagers under 16 since implementing a world-first ban on such accounts. The company deactivated 462,000 suspect Instagram accounts and 294,000 suspect Facebook accounts between December 2022 and June 2023, up from 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts removed by January.
Meta aims to comply with the new law despite its vocal opposition, as Australia's internet regulator is considering enforcement action against platforms that have failed to take sufficient steps to comply. While no other platforms have released compliance data matching the date range, Australian government figures and independent studies show more than 80% of under-16s were still on social media during the ban's first three months.
The Australian government introduced the law due to concerns about social media's impact on children's and young teens' physical and mental health. Meta, along with TikTok, Google's YouTube, and Snapchat's Snap, are set to testify in a parliamentary inquiry about the changes. Meta stated it shares the government's goal of ensuring young people have safe, age-appropriate online experiences and is meeting its obligations under the law.
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