TL;DR
Meta has removed over 750,000 teen accounts in Australia since June 2025, using AI to comply with the country’s under-16 social media ban. Despite these efforts, the Australian eSafety Commission reports that 81.5% of underage users still access restricted apps, citing inconsistent age verification across platforms. Meta advocates for a unified age verification system at the app store level to improve compliance.
Key Developments
- Meta removed more than 750,000 underage accounts in Australia since June 2025, up from 550,000 in January.
- AI tools analyze user profiles for signs of underage users, such as birthday mentions and school grades.
- The Australian eSafety Commission reports 81.5% of underage users still access restricted apps.
- Meta calls for a unified age verification system at the app store level for consistent enforcement.
- The eSafety Commission plans to increase penalties for non-compliant apps.
Optimixed Analysis
Meta’s increased enforcement highlights the challenges of age verification on social media platforms. Despite AI advancements, the high percentage of underage users accessing restricted apps suggests current methods are insufficient. Meta’s push for a unified age verification system could streamline compliance but requires cooperation from app stores and regulators. The eSafety Commission’s planned penalties may pressure platforms to enhance their verification processes, but the lack of uniform guidelines remains a significant hurdle.
What to Watch Next
- Updates from the eSafety Commission on penalty implementations and their impact.
- Potential adoption of app store-level age verification systems.
- Further data from Meta on enforcement effectiveness and AI improvements.
