Meta Blocks Over Half A Million Accounts Under Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban

Meta has blocked close to 550,000 accounts in the early days of Australia’s new ban on social media use by children under 16, as the country tests the toughest rules of their kind anywhere in the world.

The law, which came into force in December, requires major platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Threads to stop under-16s from holding accounts. Meta said it removed about 330,000 Instagram accounts, 173,000 Facebook accounts and nearly 40,000 on Threads during its first week of compliance.

Australia’s government says the ban is designed to protect children from harmful content and algorithms, shifting the responsibility of keeping children off of social media away from parents and onto tech companies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has argued the rules will give families more control and let “kids to be kids”.

Meta says it is complying but remains unhappy with the approach. In a blog post, the company said: “As we’ve stated previously, Meta is committed to meeting its compliance obligations and is taking the necessary steps to remain compliant with the law.” However, it added: “We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward… instead of blanket bans.”

The company is again pushing for age checks to happen at the app store level and for parental approval options to be included. Meta warned this was “the only way to guarantee consistent, industry-wide protections for young people… and to avoid the whack-a-mole effect of catching up with new apps that teens will migrate to in order to circumvent the social media ban law.”

Australia is the first democracy to introduce a nationwide ban at 16 with no parental consent exemption, and platforms that fail to comply with the law can face fines of up to A$49.5m. Other countries and regions, from parts of the US to the EU, are watching closely as they consider similar moves themselves.

Despite the scale of account removals, critics say that the ban is easy to get around. Some Australian teens report using VPNs, their parents’ accounts, or switching to platforms not yet covered by the law, such as Discord or newer apps like Lemon8. Experts have also warned that pushing young people off mainstream platforms could drive them to less regulated corners of the internet.

Mental health advocates and some young people argue the rules cut off important sources of connection, especially for LGBTQ+, neurodivergent or rural teens. Meta echoed that concern, previously saying “cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn’t the answer”.

Not all platforms are accepting the law quietly. Reddit has launched a legal challenge against Australia, arguing that the ban is ineffective and raises concerns over privacy and political expression. The company said it could isolate teens “from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences (including political discussions)”.

Supporters of the ban point to growing evidence linking heavy social media use to anxiety, depression and low self-esteem in young people. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner says the policy reduces the risk of exposure to harmful content and forces tech companies to take responsibility.

While Meta’s mass account removals show the law has teeth, the debate over whether Australia’s hard-line approach protects children or simply reshapes their online behaviour is far from settled.