Meta says it has taken down 756,000 Australian teen accounts as ban enforcement looms

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that it had removed over 750,000 accounts it believed belonged to Australian teens under 16 between December and June, following a global ban on teen accounts. The removals included 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts taken down since the Australian ban went into effect in December.

Meta has pledged to take further steps in compliance with the law, despite the possibility of regulatory intervention. The company has been at odds with the Australian government over its stance on teen account restrictions, which it has vocally opposed. Meanwhile, Australia's internet regulator is considering legal action against platforms that it deems have not taken sufficient measures to comply with the law.

Other social media platforms have not released similar compliance data for the same time period, but government figures and independent studies indicate that more than 80% of Australian children aged 16 and under remained active on social media during the initial three months of the ban. The Australian government introduced the law due to concerns about the negative impacts of social media on children's physical and mental health.

Ministers for Communications and the Arts, Michelle Rowland, and Cyber-Security, Dianne Murray, will hear testimonies from Meta, TikTok's parent company ByteDance, Google's YouTube, and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel during a parliamentary inquiry on Friday. The inquiry also features government and regulatory officials. Meta's statement affirms its commitment to creating safe and age-appropriate online experiences for young users, and that it is fulfilling its obligations under the new law.