Australia Implements Social Media Ban for Under-16s; Meta Deactivates Accounts
Australia's new social media ban, a global first, commenced on December 10, establishing legal requirements for companies to prevent individuals under 16 years of age from holding accounts. Non-compliance could result in fines up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million, £25 million).
Meta's Compliance Actions
Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, and Threads, initiated account deactivations for users aged 13 to 15 from December 4. This pre-empted the official ban by one week. An estimated 150,000 Facebook accounts and 350,000 Instagram accounts in Australia are projected to be affected. Threads, accessible via Instagram, is also included.
Meta had previously informed affected users that they could download and save their content, including posts, videos, and messages, before account deactivation. For age verification, users who believe they have been incorrectly identified as under 16 can request a review by submitting a video selfie, a driver's license, or other government-issued identification.
Meta has suggested that a more standardized and privacy-preserving approach, such as age verification during app downloads via app stores and parental approval for under-16s, would be more effective than individual app-based verification.
Scope of the Ban and Other Platforms
Beyond Meta's platforms, other social media services affected by the ban include YouTube, X, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch. A Meta spokesperson indicated that compliance with the new law would be an ongoing and multi-layered process.
Government Rationale and Criticisms
The Australian government states the ban aims to protect children from the identified harms of social media. Communications Minister Anika Wells anticipated initial implementation challenges but emphasized the legislation's goal to safeguard younger generations, citing concerns about algorithmic design and user engagement patterns. Critics, however, argue the measure could lead to social isolation for certain groups reliant on these platforms for connection and potentially redirect young users to less regulated online environments.
Monitoring Emerging Platforms
Minister Wells also noted that lesser-known applications, such as Lemon8 (developed by TikTok's creators) and Yope, are being monitored for potential migration of young users. Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has requested Lemon8 and Yope to self-assess their status under the ban.
Yope's CEO, Bahram Ismailau, stated the company had self-assessed and determined it is not a social media platform, functioning as a private messenger with no public content, similar to WhatsApp. Lemon8 has reportedly committed to excluding users under 16 from its platform, even though it was not initially included in the ban.
YouTube, which was initially exempt but later included, characterized the law as