Meta has removed more than 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts it believes belong to Australians under 16, as the country steps up enforcement of its world-first social media age ban.
The company said it deactivated about 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between December and June.
The figures have more than doubled from the 504,000 accounts Meta said it had removed by January.
Australia’s social media restrictions for under-16s took effect on December 10, forcing major platforms to take steps to prevent younger teenagers from maintaining accounts.
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Meta said the removals are continuing and that the number will increase as it identifies more suspected underage users.
The company is using age-assurance tools and artificial intelligence to identify accounts that may belong to children.
Meta said its systems can examine profile information and other clues, including references to birthdays and school grades, as well as reports from users about suspected underage accounts.
The crackdown comes as Australia’s internet regulator considers stronger enforcement action against platforms it believes have not done enough to comply with the law.
The government has proposed increasing the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million ($69.75 million) and giving regulators greater powers to obtain documents from technology companies.
Meta, TikTok, Google and Snap are due to appear before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday, where the companies and Australian officials will face questions over how the ban is being implemented.
Despite the large number of account removals, government figures and independent studies have indicated that more than eight in 10 under-16s were still using social media during the ban’s first three months, highlighting the difficulty of enforcing Australia’s restrictions.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
