Australia has introduced strict regulations banning all social media use for children under 16 starting December 10. Meta will begin shutting down Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts of users below the age limit from December 4 to comply with the new law. Platforms that fail to remove underage users may face fines up to AUD 49.5 million. Around 500,000 underage accounts across Australia are expected to be impacted.
CANBERRA: Tech giant Meta has confirmed it will shut down Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 in Australia beginning December 4, following new government regulations aimed at protecting minors online.
Under the new law taking effect December 10, no child under 16 will be allowed to use social media platforms in Australia. Companies that fail to comply may be fined up to 49.5 million Australian dollars. Authorities have directed all major platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others — to ensure removal of all underage accounts before the deadline.
Meta revealed that users aged 13 to 15 have already begun receiving notifications warning them of the upcoming account closures. The company added that starting December 4, no new underage accounts will be permitted to register, and all identified accounts belonging to users under 16 will be permanently shut down by December 10. Once users turn 16, they will be able to regain access to their accounts with all data intact.
Government statistics indicate that Australia currently has about 350,000 Instagram accounts and 150,000 Facebook accounts operated by users aged 13 to 15. The sweeping new restrictions have drawn global attention, with New Zealand preparing a similar bill and the Dutch government advising parents to stop children under 15 from using apps such as TikTok and Snapchat.
Australia’s move signals a growing international push to impose tighter controls on young users’ social media activity.
