Dbarta24 International Desk — Tech giant Meta has disabled more than 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 in Australia, following the implementation of the country’s landmark social media age restrictions.
According to figures released by the company, Meta removed approximately 462,000 suspicious Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between December—just before the law took effect—and June.
This marks a sharp increase from January, when the tech giant reported deleting 331,000 Instagram and 173,000 Facebook profiles.
Regulatory Backlash and Doubled Penalties
Despite Meta’s enforcement efforts, Australian regulators argue the measures fall short. Officials from the eSafety Commission indicated that several major platforms, including Meta, have failed to comply adequately with the restrictions, warning that legal proceedings are currently being considered.
Although Meta maintains it disagrees with the legislation, the company insists it is committed to abiding by local laws.
However, independent surveys and government data reveal that during the first three months of the ban, more than eight out of ten minors under 16 managed to remain active on social media platforms.
Accusing tech companies of attempting to undermine the law, the Australian government has recently passed tougher legislation.
The maximum penalty for non-compliance has been doubled to 99 million AUD (approximately $69.7 million USD), alongside granting regulators expanded powers to demand detailed compliance data.
Industry Testimony and Detection Technologies
Representatives from Meta, TikTok, Google (YouTube), and Snapchat testified before a parliamentary inquiry committee on Friday alongside regulators and government officials to address enforcement progress.
During the hearing, Meta defended its multi-layered approach to age verification, which relies on artificial intelligence to spot contextual signals—such as birthday celebration posts or school grade mentions—to flag underage profiles. Additionally,
Meta uses image-based age estimation software and tracks behavioral patterns to prevent banned users from creating new accounts.
“Enforcement is ongoing, and the number of account actions will continue to rise. We share the Australian Government’s goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences for young people, and we are committed to meeting our obligations under the law,” Meta stated in an official release.Global Implications for Youth Online Safety
Australia’s pioneering legislation—enacted on December 10 last year—was driven by growing public concern over the negative impacts of social media on adolescents’ mental and physical health.
Following trials of age-estimation technologies in 2025 that proved market readiness, Australia became a global test case for social media regulation.
As nations worldwide monitor Australia’s experiment to determine the feasibility of similar age restrictions, the standoff between regulators and Silicon Valley signals a pivotal shift in how governments enforce youth protections online.