Under-16s lose access to Instagram and Facebook in Australia ahead of landmark social media ban

Meta announced Thursday that it will close the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Australian users under age 16 early next month as the country’s landmark social media ban begins to take effect

Meta announced Thursday that it will close the Instagram and Facebook accounts of Australian users under age 16 early next month as the country’s landmark social media ban begins to take effect.

The California-based tech giant said it had begun notifying affected users to download their contacts and memories before their accounts are deleted from its platforms, starting from Dec. 4, sparking concerns about potential privacy violations and shrinking spaces for young people.

The world-first law comes as lawmakers across the globe wrestle with the impacts of teens’ internet access, with the European Union also considering age restrictions on social media use, while the U.K. has imposed mandatory age checks for sites likely to contain adult content.

Australia has earned a reputation for confrontations with Silicon Valley giants, with a past showdown forcing tech companies to pay for news content used on social media. The country has also weighed rules punishing tech giants for spreading misinformation, and has rejected calls for AI-friendly changes to copyright law.

Meta said in a statement Thursday that it would kick off users it understands to be under the age of 16 using “age assurance methods” by Dec. 10, when Australia’s new law comes into effect. Teenage users can have their access restored once they turn 16, the company said.