Meta calls for Australia to reconsider its under-16 social media ban, reporting it blocked over 544,000 accounts under the new law
SYDNEY: Tech giant Meta has urged Australia to reconsider its world-first social media ban for users under 16.
The company reported blocking more than 544,000 underage accounts in the law’s first week of enforcement.
Australia’s legislation, which came into force on 10 December last year, requires major platforms to stop underage users from holding accounts.
Companies face fines of A$49.5 million if they fail to take reasonable steps to comply.
Meta said it removed 331,000 underage accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook, and 40,000 from Threads in the week to 11 December.
The company stated it remains committed to complying with the law.
“We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward,” it said in a statement.
It suggested incentivising industry to raise standards for safe, age-appropriate online experiences instead of blanket bans.
Meta renewed its call for app stores to verify ages and get parental approval before under-16s can download apps.
It argued this is the only way to avoid a “whack-a-mole” race as teens migrate to new apps to avoid the ban.
The company said parents and experts worry the ban could isolate young people from online communities.
It also expressed concern the law could drive some teens to less regulated apps and darker corners of the internet.
Meta argued initial impacts suggest the law is not meeting its safety and well-being objectives for young Australians.
The company raised concerns over the lack of an industry standard for determining age online.
It stated its compliance with the Australian law will be a “multilayered process”.
Since the ban, Meta helped found the non-profit OpenAge Initiative.
The initiative has launched age-verification tools called AgeKeys for use with participating platforms.
