Australia’s under-16 social media ban led to 4.7 million account deactivations in its first month, inspiring similar laws in France and Malaysia.
SYDNEY: Social media platforms have deactivated approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers in the first month of a pioneering national ban.
The eSafety Commissioner confirmed the figure on Friday, marking the first government data on compliance with the law that took effect on December 10.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared the policy a success at a news conference.
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“This is a source of Australian pride,” Albanese said.
“This was world leading legislation, but it is now being followed up around the world.”
The Australian model is now inspiring similar legislative efforts in several other nations.
France, Malaysia and Indonesia have all announced plans to introduce comparable laws.
Some European nations and U.S. states are also discussing following Australia’s lead.
The high deactivation tally suggests platforms are taking significant steps to adhere to the new rules.
Companies face fines of up to A$49.5 million (RM99 million) for non-compliance, though children or parents are not held liable.
The figure is far higher than pre-law estimates and equates to more than two accounts for every Australian aged 10 to 16.
Meta previously reported removing about 550,000 underage accounts from Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
The minimum age rule also applies to Google’s YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Elon Musk’s X platform.
Reddit has said it is complying but is simultaneously suing the government to overturn the ban.
Critics have questioned the long-term enforceability of the ban.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant acknowledged some underage accounts remain active.
“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach,” Inman Grant told the press conference.
“If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”
All companies initially covered by the ban have stated they will comply.
Some smaller social media apps reported a surge in Australian downloads ahead of the December rollout.
The eSafety office said it would monitor these migration trends but noted initial spikes did not lead to sustained usage.
A long-term study with mental health experts will track the ban’s impact over several years. – Reuters
