Meta to shut down under-16 accounts in Australia from December 4

CANBERRA: Tech company Meta has announced that it will begin shutting down Facebook, Instagram and Threads accounts of users under 16 in Australia from December 4.

The move comes in response to new Australian government regulations under which, after December 10, the use of any social media platform by children under 16 will be strictly prohibited.

Companies violating the law could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars.

The government has instructed all social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok — to remove all underage users from their systems by December 10.

According to Meta, users aged between 13 and 15 have already begun receiving notifications informing them that their accounts will soon be closed.

“From December 4, no new underage accounts will be allowed to register, and all identified underage accounts will be shut down by December10,” Meta said.

The company said that once users turn 16, they will be able to regain access to their accounts in the same condition.

Government data shows that Australia currently has around 350,000 Instagram accounts and 150,000 Facebook accounts belonging to users aged 13 to 15. Australia’s strict new law is drawing global attention. On the other hand, New Zealand’s prime minister is preparing a bill to tighten restrictions on children’s use of social media, while the Dutch government has advised parents to prevent children under 15 from using apps such as TikTok and Snapcha