By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
The parent company of Facebook and Instagram Meta has removed approximately 756,000 accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 in Australia. This enforcement action follows the implementation of a national social media prohibition that took effect on December 10. Meta disabled more than 462,000 Instagram profiles and roughly 294,000 Facebook profiles between December and June. These figures mark a significant increase from the 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts removed by January.
Regulatory Background and Global Precedents
The legislation represents one of the most stringent regulatory measures globally targeting younger internet users. The Australian government introduced the landmark law due to growing concerns regarding the impact of social media platforms on the physical and mental health of children and young teens.
Meta stated that it wants to comply with the legislation despite prior vocal opposition from major technology companies. The platform’s compliance data arrives as the Australian internet regulator weighs potential enforcement lawsuits against various platforms. Authorities claim that certain companies have failed to take sufficient steps to adhere to the mandate. While no other platforms have released matching compliance data, government figures and independent studies indicate that a vast majority of underage users remained active on social media during the initial months of the restriction.
Government Scrutiny and Penalties
The Australian government has accused tech companies of intentionally setting the ban up to fail. In response, authorities doubled the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million, which is approximately $69.75 million, and granted regulators greater document discovery powers. Representatives from Meta, TikTok, YouTube owner Google, and Snap’s Snapchat are scheduled to give evidence in a parliamentary inquiry about the changes on Friday, as are regulatory and government officials.
Technological Enforcement and AI Integration
Meta relies on artificial intelligence systems to detect underage accounts. A 2025 Australian trial of age assurance technology found products on the market could effectively support a ban. Most large platforms, including Meta’s, rolled out photo-based age estimation software, although they say they typically first subject users to age inference, or assuming a person’s age based on their online activity. Meta stated it was using AI to analyse user profiles for “contextual clues that an account may belong to someone under 16, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades” and to analyse reports about suspected underage accounts. Also, the company added that it had removed the option for a person to make more attempts to set up an account if their previous account was deleted.
Corporate Outlook and Ongoing Commitments
Company representatives maintain that compliance efforts will persist as scrutiny intensifies. Meta stated in a statement: “Enforcement is ongoing, and these numbers will continue to grow.” The corporation added: “We share the Australian Government’s goal of ensuring young people have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we are meeting our obligations under the law.”
Investor Perspectives and Market Projections
Financial analysts note that Meta’s direct financial risk in Australia remains modest compared to its broader global operations. However, investors worry that Australia may establish a template for international legislation. If similar restrictions proliferate worldwide, Meta could face rising compliance expenses and new constraints on reaching younger demographics in international markets.
As policymakers worldwide monitor the unfolding framework in Australia, the ultimate balance between robust child safety protections and digital privacy rights will likely redefine global internet governance for the next decade.
