Meta urges Australia to reconsider under-16 social media ban after mass account removals

After blocking nearly 550,000 suspected teen accounts in a month, Meta has renewed calls for Australia to rethink its under-16 social media ban, arguing that blanket restrictions may be less effective than industry-wide safety and age-verification measures.

Meta has once again appealed to the Australian government to review its recently enforced ban on social media use by children under 16, warning that the policy could have unintended consequences despite the company’s efforts to comply with the law.

Australia’s Online Safety Amendment Act 2024, which took effect on December 11, restricts access to major digital platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat and X. In response, Meta said it removed close to 550,000 accounts believed to belong to under-16 users within a single month. Most of these removals occurred on Instagram, followed by Facebook and Threads.

Meta said it remains committed to following Australian regulations but believes the current approach needs refinement. The company has urged policymakers to work more closely with the technology industry to develop solutions that promote safety without fully cutting young users off from online communities.

Call for industry-wide age verification

As part of its response, Meta highlighted its collaboration with the non-profit OpenAge Initiative to introduce age-verification tools known as Age Keys. These tools allow users to confirm their age through methods such as government-issued identification, financial checks, facial age estimation, or national digital wallets.

However, Meta argued that platform-level checks alone are insufficient. It has called for age verification and parental consent mechanisms to be implemented at the app store level, noting that teenagers typically use dozens of apps each week, many of which fall outside the scope of the current law or lack robust safety measures.

According to the company, a coordinated approach across app ecosystems would offer more consistent protections and prevent young users from shifting to alternative platforms to bypass restrictions.

Debate over effectiveness and impact

Since the ban came into force, reports suggest many Australian teenagers have turned to lesser-known platforms or used workarounds such as VPNs or family members’ accounts. Other tech companies have also pushed back. Reddit has launched a legal challenge, arguing that the law limits access to age-appropriate community and political discussions.

The Australian government has defended the move, saying the ban empowers families and reduces children’s exposure to harmful or stressful online content. Regulators have also said the law shifts responsibility for teen safety from parents to technology companies.

The debate is being closely watched globally, as concerns over social media’s impact on youth mental health grow. Australia’s decision could influence similar policies elsewhere, as governments balance child safety with digital access and freedom of expression.