Meta has announced that it has suspended approximately 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts suspected of belonging to users under 16 years old since Australia’s new social media restrictions came into force in December. The deletions represent the tech giant’s compliance with Australia’s controversial age verification law, which has become one of the world’s strictest regulations governing young people’s access to social platforms.

The Australian legislation, which took effect last month, prohibits anyone under 16 from using major social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and X, regardless of parental consent. The law places the burden of age verification on platforms rather than parents, compelling Meta and other tech companies to implement robust age-checking systems or face significant fines.

Meta’s disclosure of the account deletions highlights the practical challenges of enforcing the age restriction at scale. The company has stated that it is using a combination of technology and user reporting to identify accounts belonging to underage users. However, critics have raised concerns about both the effectiveness of such measures and the potential impact on young people’s digital connectivity and freedom of expression.

The Australian government has argued that the restrictions are necessary to protect children from harmful content, online predators, and the addictive design of social media algorithms. Supporters of the law contend that teenagers should be shielded from these risks during their formative years. Meanwhile, digital rights advocates and some industry experts have questioned whether the blanket ban is proportionate and whether it will simply push young users towards less regulated platforms.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.