Meta removes over 544,000 underage accounts under Australia’s social media ban

The news: One month after Australia’s social media age ban came into effect, Meta has removed access to more than 544,000 Instagram, Facebook and Threads accounts it believes belonged to users under 16, it said in a statement.

The numbers: Between 4 and 11 December, Meta said it removed 330,639 Instagram accounts, 173,497 Facebook profiles and 39,916 Threads accounts as part of its initial compliance.

In its statement, Meta said the law is not meeting its objective of increasing the safety and wellbeing of young Australians, citing concerns including isolating vulnerable teens from online communities, driving teens to less regulated apps, and inconsistent age verification methods across platforms.

Meta said legislation should instead require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval before under-16s download apps. It also said the law’s premise that preventing under-16s from holding accounts avoids “algorithmic experiences” is false, because platforms accessed while logged out still use algorithms.