Sydney: Social media companies have shut down nearly five million accounts belonging to Australian teenagers just one month after a world-first ban on under-16s came into force.
Australia’s internet regulator said platforms have so far deactivated about 4.7 million accounts held by users under the age of 16 since the legislation took effect on December 10. Several companies had begun removing accounts even before the law officially started.
The figures mark the first official snapshot of compliance and suggest major platforms are taking decisive action to meet the requirements of a law that allows fines of up to A$49.5 million for breaches. The penalties apply to companies, not children or their parents.
The scale of removals is far larger than earlier estimates and amounts to more than two accounts for every Australian aged between 10 and 16. Meta previously said it had removed around 550,000 underage accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
The age restriction also applies to YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and X, formerly known as Twitter. Reddit has said it is complying with the rules but is also challenging the law in court. The government has said it will defend the ban.
The eSafety Commissioner said the early figures showed regulatory guidance and engagement with platforms were already producing significant results. She cautioned, however, that some underage accounts remained active and it was too soon to declare full compliance.
Officials said effective age-verification systems would take time to fully implement, but early feedback from third-party age-assurance providers indicated the rollout had gone smoothly, helped by public awareness campaigns ahead of the ban.
Some smaller social media apps saw a spike in downloads in the weeks leading up to the law’s introduction, though regulators said this had not translated into sustained use. Authorities said they would continue to monitor whether young users were shifting to alternative platforms.
A long-term study involving mental health experts will also track the effects of the ban over the coming years, as Australia becomes the first country to enforce a nationwide age limit on major social media platforms.
