Meta Deactivates Over 544,000 Accounts in Australia Following Under-16 Social Media Ban

Meta has deactivated 544,052 accounts in Australia between December 4 and 11, 2025, to comply with the country's new law prohibiting social media use for individuals under 16. This includes 330,639 accounts on Instagram, 173,497 on Facebook, and 39,916 on Threads.

The legislation, effective December 10, 2025, mandates that major platforms prevent under-16s from holding accounts, with non-compliance potentially resulting in fines up to A$49.5 million.

Meta expressed concerns about the challenges of accurately determining users' ages online without an industry standard. The company called on the Australian government to engage with the industry to develop more effective age verification measures, suggesting that app stores require age verification and parental approval before app downloads.

The Australian government is expected to release data on the number of underage accounts removed across all affected platforms in the coming week. The ban has garnered international attention, with countries like Germany considering similar measures.