Meta begins removal of under-16s from social media in Australia

Meta has started removing users under 16 in Australia from Instagram, Threads, and Facebook ahead of the country’s new youth social media ban.

Australia now requires major platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to block underage users by December 10. Companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply face heavy fines.

A Meta spokesperson said the company is working to remove all users identified as under 16 before the deadline, adding that compliance will be “ongoing and multi-layered.” Younger users will be able to save and download their online histories, and Meta says they will regain access and have their content restored once they turn 16.

The ban is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of adolescents, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 users in Australia aged 13 to 15. Some platforms — including Roblox, Pinterest, and WhatsApp — are exempt, but that list may change.

Meta said it supports the law but urged the government to place responsibility on app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval when teens under 16 download apps. The company argued that this would prevent teens from having to verify their age across multiple platforms.

YouTube also criticized the ban, saying it may make young Australians “less safe” because under-16s could still access the site without an account but would lose safety filters. Australia’s communications minister dismissed the argument as “weird,” saying platforms must address their own unsafe content.

The minister noted that some teens had taken their lives after harmful online content targeted their insecurities, and said the law aims to create a safer online space even if it cannot solve every problem.

A legal challenge has been launched by an internet rights group claiming the law is an unfair restriction on free speech. Authorities expect many teens will attempt to evade the rules using fake IDs or AI-altered photos, though regulators admit no system will be fully effective.

Other countries are watching closely. Malaysia plans to introduce a similar under-16 restriction next year, and New Zealand is preparing its own ban.