Meta Platforms closes about 550,000 under-16 accounts in Australia
Meta Platforms (Meta) closed about 550,000 accounts in Australia as the country’s new rules requiring age-restricted social media services to prevent under-16 users from holding accounts moved into effect. The removals covered about 330,000 accounts on Instagram, about 173,000 accounts on Facebook, and about 39,000 to 40,000 accounts on Threads.
Australia’s social media age restrictions began on Dec. 10, 2025. Under the rules, covered platforms must take “reasonable steps” to stop Australians under 16 from creating or keeping an account. Penalties for non-compliance can reach more than $33 million.
The account closures were carried out in the weeks surrounding the start date, with reporting indicating the removals included activity between Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
The Australian Government’s eSafety regulator is collecting compliance information from platforms as the restrictions roll out. Separate reporting after the first month of enforcement described millions of accounts being deleted, deactivated, or restricted across multiple services covered by the rules.
The law applies to major social media services used by teenagers, while the regulator’s guidance describes how the framework focuses on platform obligations rather than penalties for children or parents. The restrictions are framed as a protective measure for young users and were introduced amid wider international debate about youth safety online, harmful content exposure, and age assurance.
Meta’s removals represent one of the earliest platform-specific tallies published after the ban began, with the figures broken out across its three main consumer social products in Australia.
