Meta has started closing down social media accounts of Australian children under 16.
Although the ban is due for next week—i.e., December 10,2025 but platforms like Instagram and Facebook have already started shutting down accounts for under 16 a week before the due date.
The tech giant, Meta, announced last month that it had begun notifying users aged between 13 and 15 years old that their accounts would start shutting down from December 4, 2025.
According to the Guardian, the eSafety commissioner reported that there are approximately 150,000 Facebook and 350,000 Instagram accounts held by people aged between 13 and 15 years old.
Meta clearly informed users that it will begin blocking the creation of new accounts from Thursday.
“While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” said Meta’s spokesperson.
“If you’re under 16, you can still preserve and download your digital history across Instagram, Threads, and Facebook."
“Before you turn 16, we will notify you that you will soon be allowed to regain access to these platforms, and your content will be restored exactly as you left it,” added Meta.
Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube would face fines up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) from December 10,2025 if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove accounts of Australian children younger than 16.
Livestreaming service Twitch was also added to the list of age-restricted platforms less than two weeks ago.
The Australian eSafety Commissioner will start sending notices to the mentioned platforms on December 11,2025 demanding information about the numbers of accounts removed.
Moreover, these monthly notices would follow for six months, as the government understands that the process will require time for banning a number of accounts.
Australian Communication Minister, Anika Wells told National Press Club on Wednesday December 3, 2025 that "if a child has a social media account on 10 December, then that platform is breaking the law."
While she also acknowledged that the process would take time for 'the age assurance sieve' to filter out existing accounts and stop new accounts from being created.
The Australian government has a policy in place, allowing teens above 16 (who are unjustly affected by the ban) to request a review and submit a ‘selfie video’ to verify their age.
Otherwise, they can also provide a driver’s license or a government-issued ID card.
The government commissioned a study earlier this year that found that 96% of Australian children aged 10-15 used social media.
The study found that 7 out of 10 under-16 social media users had been exposed to harmful content such as misogynistic and violent material as well as content promoting eating disorders and suicide, while more than half had been victims of cyberbullying.
The government informed, the ban is aimed at protecting children from the harms of social media.
The Australian digital rights group, Digital Freedom Project DFP is hoping the High Court will issue an injunction preventing the law from taking effect next week.
Wells said, “Over the coming months, we will fight to defend this law in the High Court because parents … right across Australia asked for the government to step up.”
Australia's social media ban, the first of its kind in the world, is being closely watched by global leaders.
As reported by ABC News, the Malaysian government is also aiming to ban social media accounts for children under 16 from 2026.
Additionally, the Australian minister informed that the European Commission, France, Denmark, Greece, Romania and New Zealand are also interested in setting a minimum age for social media users.
