Key Points
- Meta will block users under 16 in Australia from accessing Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
- The move is to comply with a new Australian law that takes effect on December 10.
- The company will start deactivating accounts and blocking new sign-ups on December 4.
- Meta will use various age-verification methods to enforce the ban. Platforms that fail to comply with the law face fines of up to A$49.5 million.
Meta announced on Thursday that it will block Australian users under 16 from accessing Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. The move is to comply with the country’s sweeping new social media ban for teenagers, which goes into effect on December 10.
The company said it has already started notifying users who it believes are between 13 and 15 years old that their accounts will be shut down. These notifications are sent via in-app messages, email, and text.
Starting on December 4, Meta will begin deactivating these accounts and block any new sign-ups from anyone under 16. The company expects this process to be finished by December 10. This is an earlier timeline than Meta had previously suggested to lawmakers.
Meta said it will use several methods to verify users’ ages and will ask for additional information only when it has reason to doubt a user’s stated age. “While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” said Antigone Davis, Meta’s vice president and global head of safety.
According to Australia’s internet regulator, there are about 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram users aged 13 to 15 in Australia.
Australia’s new social media ban is among the most comprehensive of its kind in the world and is being closely watched by regulators worldwide. The law requires social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to block minors from having accounts. Companies that don’t comply could face fines of up to A49.5 million ($32.09 million).
