Meta has deactivated over 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia believed to belong to users under 16 years old, as part of compliance with Australia's youth social media ban law [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. This ban, which took effect in December 2025, prohibits platforms from allowing under-16s to hold accounts [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Of the total removals, approximately 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts were deactivated by the end of June 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. More than 500,000 accounts were removed before the law’s official start date, with the remainder taken down since then [1, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Meta uses AI-powered tools to analyze user profiles, posts, comments, and user reports to identify suspected underage accounts, the company said [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]. A Meta spokesperson said, "Enforcement is ongoing, and these numbers will continue to grow" [1]. Another Meta statement added, "We are fulfilling our legal obligations and are committed to taking further actions. We use AI to analyze user profiles to detect accounts that may belong to users under 16" [2].
Despite these efforts, independent studies and Australian government data indicate that over 80% of under-16 Australians still use social media platforms within the first three months of the ban’s implementation [1, 2, 5, 6]. The Australian online safety regulator attributed this to ineffective age verification measures employed by platforms [1, 5].
The Australian government is considering stronger enforcement measures and has doubled the maximum fines for non-compliance to 99 million Australian dollars [2, 4, 5, 6]. Meta and other tech firms including TikTok, Google, and Snapchat are scheduled to testify before the Australian parliament on August 14 to discuss their compliance with the youth social media ban [5, 6].
Meta emphasized a shared goal with the government "of ensuring young people have a safe and age-appropriate online experience" [6]. The upcoming parliamentary hearings will likely clarify how platforms plan to improve enforcement and reduce underage social media use in Australia.
