Meta deactivates 756,000 Australian teen accounts as under-16 social media ban faces scrutiny

Meta's enforcement actions

Meta announced on Thursday that it had deactivated 756,000 accounts suspected of belonging to Australians under 16, comprising 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. The figures cover the period from just before the ban took effect on December 10, 2025, through June 2026. The numbers represent a marked increase from January, when Meta reported removing 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts. The company said it expects the count to keep rising.

Meta said it uses artificial intelligence to scan profiles, posts, comments, and image captions for clues about a user's age, including birthday celebration posts and mentions of school year. The company has also improved systems designed to prevent users from simply creating new accounts after being blocked. A 2025 Australian trial of age assurance technology found that products on the market could effectively support a ban, and most large platforms, including Meta, rolled out photo-based age estimation software.

Persistent circumvention

Despite the enforcement effort, government figures and multiple independent studies showed that more than 80% of under-16s remained on social media during the ban's first three months. A study published in the British Medical Journal in June found that 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect. Two-thirds of those teens reported bypassing age restrictions without excessive checks from platforms, using methods such as false self-declaration or a selfie wearing fake facial hair.

Australian government data showed that by June 2026, over 5 million accounts had been removed, deactivated, or had restrictions imposed across all platforms. Supporters of the ban point to this figure as evidence of progress, while critics cite the 85% circumvention rate as proof of the ban's limitations.

Regulatory pressure and penalties

Australia's internet regulator is considering an enforcement lawsuit against platforms, including some owned by Meta, that it says have failed to take sufficient steps to comply with the law. The government has accused platforms of intentionally setting the ban up to fail. In response, parliament passed legislation doubling the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million ($69.75 million, approximately EUR 60 million) and granting the regulator greater document discovery powers.

Communications Minister Anika Wells accused platforms of "not fulfilling obligations under the law." No other platform has released compliance data matching the date range Meta provided. Meta, which along with other platforms had vocally opposed the law before it took effect, now says it intends to comply.

Enforcement is ongoing, and these numbers will continue to grow.

We share the Australian Government's goal of ensuring young people have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we are meeting our obligations under the law.

Parliamentary hearing

Representatives of Meta, TikTok, Google (which owns YouTube), and Snap (which owns Snapchat) are scheduled to give evidence before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday, August 14. Regulatory and government officials will also testify. The hearing examines the platforms' compliance with the under-16 ban and their efforts to protect young users.

The ban, which covers Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, and Twitch, was proposed on concerns about social media's impact on the physical and mental health of children and young teens. Numerous other countries are considering or have introduced similar age restrictions following Australia's example.