Australians under the age of 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta announced on Thursday, as Canberra prepares to implement sweeping laws banning teenagers from social media.
From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.
Meta said it would begin removing teens from its platforms before the ban takes effect.
“Starting today, Meta will notify Australian users aged 13 to 15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook,” Meta said in a statement.
“Meta will begin blocking new under-16 accounts and revoking existing access starting December 4, hoping to remove all known under-16s by December 10.”
There are around 350,000 Instagram users aged 13 to 15 in Australia and around 150,000 Facebook accounts, according to government figures.
Meta has started warning affected users that they will soon be blocked.
“Soon you will no longer be able to use Facebook and your profile will no longer be visible to you or others,” reads a message sent to affected users.
“When you turn 16, we’ll let you know that you can start using Facebook again.”
Teenagers will be able to access their accounts “exactly as you left them” once they turn 16, Meta told them.
Heavy fines
Erroneously flagged accounts could verify their age using a “selfie video” or by providing government-issued ID.
Social media companies have previously called the laws “vague,” “problematic” and “rushed.”
Meta expressed his concerns again on Thursday.
“We share the Australian Government’s goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teenagers off from their friends and communities is not the solution.”
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the world grapple with the dangers of social media.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will introduce a similar bill to restrict children’s use of social media.
And the Dutch government this year advised parents to ban children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.
Social media companies caught flouting the laws will face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32 million).
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
But some experts fear the law is only symbolic because of the difficulty of implementing and monitoring online age verification.
