Australian teenagers on Instagram, Facebook and Threads are being notified that their accounts will be deactivated ahead of the country’s social media ban for under-16s.
Meta, which owns the three platforms, has begun notifying users it believes to be between 13 and 15 years old through text, email and in-app messages that their accounts would start being deactivated from December 4.
The law comes into force on December 10 and affects platforms including TikTok, YouTube, X and Reddit.
Under-16s face account shutdowns as Australia enforces social media ban, backed by Prime Minister
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the ban was aimed at “letting kids be kids”. Meta and other firms have opposed the measure but confirmed they would comply.
Australia’s internet regulator has estimated there are 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 teenagers on Instagram in the 13-15 age bracket.
From December 4, children aged below 16 will not be able to create accounts on Meta‘s social media platforms. The company is asking young users to update their contact details so they can be notified when they become eligible to open an account.
Teenagers can download and save their posts, videos and messages before their accounts are shut down.
Age verification methods available
Meta said that teenagers who claim they are old enough to use Instagram, Facebook and Threads can challenge the restriction by taking a video selfie to be used in facial age scans. They can also provide a driver’s licence or other government-issued identification.
All these verification methods were tested by the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) earlier this year in a report commissioned by the Australian state.
While the ACCS said that all methods had their merits, it added: “We did not find a single ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases, nor did we find solutions that were guaranteed to be effective in all deployments.”
Penalties and compliance
Social media platforms which fail to take “reasonable steps” to block under-16s face fines of up to A$50m (ยฃ25m).
“While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” Antigone Davis, vice-president and global head of safety at Meta, told Reuters Financial.
Meta wants to see a law where under-16s have to get parental approval before they download a social media app.
Which platforms does the ban apply to?
The e-Safety Commissioner has published a list of which social media platforms will be impacted by the age ban.
- Kick
- Snapchat
- Threads
- TikTok
- X (formerly Twitter)
- YouTube
Platforms not included in the ban are:
- Discord
- GitHub
- Google Classroom
- LEGO Play
- Messenger
- Roblox
- Steam and Steam Chat
- YouTube Kids
