Meta has deactivated 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts in Australia that appeared to belong to users under 16, in compliance with the Online Safety (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, which took effect in December last year. The figure includes over 500,000 accounts removed before the law's enforcement and those blocked since then, according to medianama.com.
The breakdown includes 462,000 suspect Instagram accounts and 294,000 suspect Facebook accounts. Meta has not disclosed the number of underage Threads accounts removed. The company stated that enforcement is ongoing and it reports its actions to the eSafety Commissioner, committing to periodic public updates. This announcement follows reports that Australia’s internet regulator is investigating Meta and other platforms for possible breaches of the law.
Australia’s Online Safety (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 bans users under 16 from accessing major social media apps including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and others. The regulator is considering legal action against companies for non-compliance and recently doubled the maximum penalty for violations to 99 million AUD. Meta is the only company to publicly release compliance data on this scale so far, highlighting the law’s impact on social media platforms.
The Australian government’s increased enforcement measures and Meta’s public disclosure mark a significant step in regulating underage access on social media. The eSafety Commissioner continues to monitor compliance, with Meta’s reported removals forming a key part of ongoing enforcement efforts.