Meta Says its Removed 540k Teen Accounts in Australia

01/12/26
Source: Social Media Today – Latest News by Andrew Hutchinson. Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Meta’s Response to Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban

Meta has removed nearly 550,000 accounts believed to belong to users under 16 in compliance with Australia’s new social media ban. Despite these efforts, many teens still access platforms like Instagram using VPNs or logged-out browsing, limiting the law’s effectiveness. Meta plans to implement AgeKeys, a privacy-preserving age verification system, by 2026 to better enforce age restrictions. The company advocates for app store–level age verification and parental approval to ensure consistent protection for teens across all apps.

Optimixed’s Overview: How Meta is Navigating Age Restrictions Amid Australia’s Social Media Law

Background on Australia’s Teen Social Media Ban

Australia introduced a pioneering law that requires social media platforms to prevent users under the age of 16 from accessing their services. Platforms face hefty penalties, up to $50 million, for non-compliance. The regulation aims to protect young teens from harmful content and algorithmic influences online.

Meta’s Current Compliance Measures

  • Meta has removed access to approximately 550,000 suspected underage accounts across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads since the law took effect on December 10th.
  • Despite account removals, many teens circumvent restrictions by using VPNs or accessing Instagram in logged-out mode, which still allows content browsing.
  • This loophole has resulted in minimal behavioral changes among teen users, indicating challenges in enforcement.

Challenges and Legal Ambiguities

The law’s requirement for platforms to take “reasonable steps” to restrict underage users is vague and difficult to enforce legally. There is no mandated method for verifying user ages, leaving platforms to interpret compliance measures individually, which complicates consistent enforcement.

Future Solutions: AgeKeys and Legislative Advocacy

  • Meta plans to integrate AgeKeys from OpenAge by 2026, allowing users to verify age through government IDs, financial info, facial estimation, or digital wallets in a privacy-conscious way.
  • The effectiveness of AgeKeys depends on broad adoption and user ease of verification.
  • Meta is pushing for legislation requiring app stores to verify age and obtain parental consent before teens under 16 can download apps, aiming for consistent industry-wide protections.

Implications for the Future

While Meta is advancing age verification technology, enforcement challenges remain due to technological workarounds and legal vagueness. The approach taken in Australia may serve as a model for other regions considering similar restrictions, highlighting the need for robust, cross-industry solutions to protect young users online effectively.