Meta Removes 550,000 Underage Social Media Accounts in Australia
In a major move to comply with Australia’s new social media age restriction law, Meta has removed access to nearly 550,000 accounts belonging to users believed to be under 16 years old across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
The mass removal, which occurred between 4–11 December 2025, marks Meta’s largest enforcement action under the country’s new child safety legislation, which prohibits individuals under 16 from holding social media accounts without verified parental consent.
While the Australian Government and child safety advocates have praised the update as a significant step toward protecting young users online, critics have voiced growing concerns about the broader consequences for teenagers who rely on online networks for social interaction and emotional support.
Community Concerns
Experts, youth advocates, and parents have raised several issues surrounding the law’s social impact, including:
- The risk of isolating vulnerable teens who rely on digital communities for mental health support.
- A trend of increased downloads of less-regulated apps, as teens seek alternative platforms.
- Inconsistent age verification methods across different social platforms, creating potential gaps in enforcement.
- Reports of low compliance interest from both teens and parents, as shown in national surveys conducted by Resolve Political Monitor and the ABC.
Digital policy observers argue the law’s intent—to protect minors from online harms—may be undermined if adolescents simply move to more dangerous or unregulated corners of the internet to bypass restrictions.
Industry and Policy Response
Meta’s Australian policy team emphasized that the company continues to refine its verification systems to ensure accuracy around the 16-year age boundary. Still, Meta has acknowledged that no method is flawless, with “natural error margins” at play due to users misreporting their ages.
Advocates have urged the government to consider broader safeguards by requiring app stores to verify age and seek parental approval before allowing downloads of apps restricted to underage users. Supporters say this would ensure consistent protections across all digital platforms and prevent a “whack-a-mole” effect—where authorities are forced to chase teens through emerging apps and platforms circumventing existing restrictions.
Broader Context
The introduction of the social media age ban was driven by growing national concern over online harms, cyberbullying, exposure to adult content, and mental health challenges among Australian teens. Lawmakers cite the reform as a critical part of a wider digital safety agenda rolled out in late 2025, in partnership with the eSafety Commissioner.
For more details on Meta’s statement and compliance report, visit the official Meta Australia Policy Blog here.
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