Meta has called on Australia to reconsider its world-first law banning under-16s from holding social media accounts, after reporting it blocked more than 544,000 underage accounts since the rules took effect on December 10. The law exposes platforms to fines of up to Aus$49.5 million for noncompliance. Meta proposes app-store age verification and parental consent to prevent teens migrating to less-regulated apps, and highlights its involvement in the OpenAge Initiative and AgeKeys age-verification tools.
Meta Urges Australia To Rethink Under-16 Social Media Ban After Blocking 544,000 Accounts
Meta says it has blocked more than half a million accounts under Australia's social media ban for under-16s (Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)(Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/AFP)
Meta on Monday urged Australian authorities to reconsider the nation’s world-first law that bars under-16s from holding social media accounts, saying the company has blocked more than 544,000 accounts since the rules took effect.
The legislation, which came into force on December 10, requires major platforms including Meta, TikTok and YouTube to prevent underage users from maintaining accounts. Companies that fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million).
Meta reported that in the week to December 11 it removed 331,000 underage accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook and 40,000 from Threads. The company said it remains committed to meeting legal obligations while pressing for changes it believes would be more effective and less disruptive.
Meta's Concerns and Proposed Alternatives
Meta called for a constructive dialogue with government and industry to identify alternatives to a blanket ban. In a statement the company said governments could better achieve safety goals by incentivising platforms to deliver "safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate experiences online" rather than imposing an across-the-board prohibition on under-16 accounts.
'We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward,' Meta said, urging policies that raise standards across the sector rather than simply blocking access.
Meta repeated its earlier recommendation that app stores should be required to verify users' ages and secure parental approval before under-16s can download social apps — a step the company says is necessary to avoid a "whack-a-mole" effect where teens migrate to new or less-regulated services to evade restrictions.
The company also warned that the ban could unintentionally isolate young people from supportive online communities and push some toward darker corners of the internet. Meta argued that early indications suggest the law may not be meeting its stated objective of improving young Australians' safety and well-being.
Compliance Steps and Technical Measures
Meta said compliance will be a multilayered process combining technical tools, policy changes and partnerships. Since the law took effect, the company said it helped found the OpenAge Initiative, a non-profit that has launched AgeKeys — age-verification tools designed to confirm users' ages while preserving privacy — for participating platforms.
As the debate continues, Australian regulators, platforms and child-safety advocates will likely weigh the trade-offs between stricter access controls and measures that aim to keep young people safe while preserving access to beneficial online communities.
Help us improve.
