Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it has identified and deactivated more than 756,000 suspected accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 since Australia’s social media ban for children came into effect.
According to Reuters, Meta said on Thursday, August 13, that between the period before the law took effect in December 2025 and June 2026, it had deactivated approximately 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts suspected of belonging to users under 16.
Australia’s ban on social media use by people under the age of 16 came into effect on December 10, 2025. With the implementation of the law, Australia became the first country in the world to impose a nationwide minimum age of 16 for social media use.
Meta said the process of identifying and removing accounts belonging to users under 16 is ongoing and that the number of deactivated accounts is likely to increase. The company had previously opposed the legislation but has now said it is working to comply with Australia’s legal requirements.
Australian authorities, however, say some social media platforms have not taken sufficient measures to enforce the law. The country’s internet regulator has also begun examining potential legal action against platforms suspected of failing to comply with the new regulations.
According to reports from several Australian research institutions, more than 80 percent of teenagers under the age of 16 continued to have access to and use social media during the first three months after the ban was introduced. The findings have raised questions about the effectiveness of the legislation.
The Australian government says the law was introduced to address concerns about the impact of social media on the physical and mental health of children and teenagers. Australian authorities have also increased the maximum penalty for companies that violate the rules to A$99 million.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
