Australian teenagers under 16 are being warned their Instagram, Facebook and Threads accounts will soon be shut down, as the country prepares to enforce a first-of-its-kind social media ban for young people.
Meta has started sending text messages, emails and in-app alerts to users it believes are aged 13 to 15, advising them that account deactivations will begin on 4 December — six days before the new law takes effect on 10 December.
The sweeping ban, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called “world-leading,” is aimed at easing online pressure on children and improving youth mental health. It applies across all major platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, X and Reddit. Regulators estimate roughly 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram users in Australia fall within the affected age group.
Under the new rules, users under 16 will be blocked from creating new accounts starting 4 December. Meta is urging teenagers to update their contact details so they can be notified when they are old enough to return. They will also be able to download their photos, videos and messages before their accounts go dark.
Teens who believe Meta has misidentified their age can challenge the decision by submitting a government ID or completing a facial-age scan via “video selfie.” Those verification methods were reviewed earlier this year by the Age Check Certification Scheme, which found no single tool could reliably confirm ages in all cases.
Platforms that fail to keep under-16s out face fines of up to A$50 million. Meta’s global head of safety, Antigone Davis, said the company is working to remove underage accounts before the deadline but stressed that compliance will be “ongoing and multi-layered.” Meta has also urged lawmakers to adopt a parental-consent model, warning that “teens are resourceful” and may attempt to sidestep age checks.
Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said the ban is intended to protect young people from harassment, sexual exploitation, addictive design features and other risks. In response to the law, Roblox recently rolled out new measures preventing users under 16 from chatting with adult strangers, with age checks launching in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands next month before expanding globally.
The Commissioner has also issued formal guidance listing which apps are covered by the ban: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, X, Reddit, Snapchat and Kick. Exempt platforms include Discord, WhatsApp, Roblox, Messenger, GitHub, Google Classroom, Steam and YouTube Kids.
Australia’s policy is among the strictest online safety regulations anywhere in the world — a move that could signal how other governments may seek to reshape children’s access to social media in the future.
