Australia social media ban removes 4.7 million teen accounts under new law

Social media firms have revoked entry to tens of millions of accounts belonging to youngsters in Australia within the first month because the historic ban got here into impact, forcing platforms together with Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to establish and deactivate customers below the age of 16.

Entry was revoked for about 4.7 million customers, in response to Australian officers, who on Friday praised the early success of the regulation, which got here into impact in mid-December amid fears across the influence of on-line environments on younger folks.

“At present we will announce that that is working,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated at a press convention. “It is a supply of Australian satisfaction. This was world-leading laws, however it’s now being enforced world wide.”

The regulation requires 10 social media giants – Fb, Instagram, The businesses face fines of as much as $33 million if they do not take “affordable steps” to take away underage customers.

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Australia’s prime minister celebrated the success of a brand new regulation requiring social media platforms comparable to Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to establish and deactivate customers below the age of 16. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Photographs; Anna Barclay/Getty Photographs)

“We checked out everybody who stated it could not be achieved, a few of the strongest and richest firms on this planet and their supporters,” Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells stated. “Now Australian dad and mom will be assured their youngsters can get their childhood again.”

In response to Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, there are roughly 2.5 million Australians between the ages of 8 and 15, with roughly 84% of 8 to 12 12 months olds having at the least one social media account. Whereas the whole variety of accounts throughout platforms is unknown, Inman Grant stated the variety of deactivated or restricted accounts was encouraging.

“We’re stopping predatory social media firms from having access to our kids,” she stated at a information convention.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with law enforcement officials throughout a go to to NSW Police headquarters following a deadly capturing throughout a Jewish celebration at Bondi Seaside, in Sydney, Australia, December 16, 2025. (Hollie Adams/Reuters)

Critics of the brand new ban have argued that will probably be troublesome to implement, and Inman Grant acknowledged that there are nonetheless some lively minors’ accounts.

“We do not anticipate security legal guidelines to get rid of each violation. If we had, the pace limits would have failed as a result of individuals are rushing, and the consuming limits would have failed as a result of, imagine it or not, some children get entry to alcohol,” she stated.

She added that primarily based on information reviewed by her workplace, there was a rise in downloads of other apps after the ban took impact, however no spike in utilization.

Social media platforms can confirm age by requesting copies of identification paperwork, utilizing a 3rd occasion to use age estimation know-how to an account holder’s face, or by drawing conclusions from already accessible information, comparable to how lengthy an account has been lively.

Meta, which owns Fb, Instagram and Threads, stated earlier this week that it had deleted almost 550,000 accounts of customers it believed have been below 16, simply someday after the ban started.

Whereas the regulation was fashionable amongst dad and mom and little one security campaigners, on-line privateness advocates and teams representing youngsters largely opposed it.

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A teen in Sydney holds a telephone exhibiting an Instagram age verification message after the account was locked on December 9, 2025. (AFP through Getty Photographs)

Different international locations have thought-about comparable measures in step with Australia, and a few US lawmakers have additionally indicated curiosity in pursuing social media restrictions within the US.

“I feel we have to take a look at what Australia is doing, for instance, in requiring that entry to those social media platforms not be accessible to anybody below the age of 16,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, stated final month.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-In poor health., beforehand stated that “defending youngsters is a path that have to be taken.”

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“I’d not rule out a restriction on the sale, distribution or use of those gadgets… Mother and father and grandparents need assistance; that is getting out of hand,” he stated.

Nora Moriarty of Fox Information Digital, The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.