Tech giant Meta announced on Thursday that starting December 4, it will remove all users under the age of 16 from Facebook and Instagram in Australia. This move comes ahead of new and strict regulations that will officially ban teenagers from using social media from December 10.

From December 10, the Australian government will require social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—to delete the accounts of all users below 16 years of age or face heavy fines.

Meta confirmed that it has already begun implementing these rules ahead of the deadline.

According to the company:

• Starting today, Australian users aged 13–15 will receive notifications informing them that their access to Instagram, Threads, and Facebook will soon be restricted.
  • From December 4, Meta will block the creation of new under-16 accounts and begin removing existing ones. The goal is to delete all such accounts by December 10.

Government data shows that Australia currently has around 350,000 Instagram users and 150,000 Facebook accounts belonging to 13–15-year-olds.

These users have already started getting warning messages. One such message states:

“Soon, you won’t be able to use Facebook and your profile will no longer be visible to you or others. When you turn 16, we will let you know that you can start using Facebook again.”

Meta also clarified that once a user turns 16, their account will be restored exactly as it was before.

 

Age Verification & Growing Concerns

If a user is incorrectly flagged as being under 16, they can verify their age through a video selfie or by submitting a government-issued ID.

Several social media companies have criticized the new regulations as unclear, rushed, and problematic. Meta reiterated that while creating a safe online environment is essential, completely cutting teens off from their digital communities is not the right approach.

Australia’s strict new rules are drawing global attention, as many countries struggle to address the risks associated with social media.

New Zealand is preparing similar laws to restrict children’s social media usage, while the Netherlands has advised parents not to allow children under 15 to use apps like TikTok and Snapchat.

Violating these new rules could result in fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (32 million USD) for social media companies.

However, experts warn that despite the strict laws, accurately verifying users’ ages online remains a major challenge—raising concerns that the law may ultimately be symbolic rather than effective.