Australian teenagers under-16 are receiving notifications via in-app messages, email, and SMS that their Meta social media accounts will be deactivated ahead of the government’s new ban, which comes into force on 10 December, according to multiple media reports.
The social media giant is complying with the law but continues to argue its own teen safety settings are a better alternative.
Accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will begin being deactivated from 4 December, with all affected accounts removed by the 10 December deadline. Messenger is exempt from the ban as Meta has developed a way for users to keep access to Facebook’s messaging function without a Facebook account.
Affected teens can download their posts, messages, and video Reels before deactivation. Their accounts will be restored once they turn 16.
“When you turn 16, and can access our apps again, all your content will be available exactly as you left it,” said Mia Garlick, Meta’s regional policy director.
[See more: Australians are boycotting social media for a day to protest its failure to protect teens]
Meta will not reveal how it identifies underage users to prevent circumvention. Users mistakenly flagged can verify their age using a video selfie or government ID.
The ban also applies to TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, and Kick. While TikTok and Snapchat have said they will comply, YouTube argues that it is not a social media platform and it views this ban as a suppression of free speech. Meanwhile, X has expressed opposition.
The Australian government has stated that the list of affected platforms is “dynamic” and could change, with more services potentially being added in the future.
“If [platforms] start rolling out features that look more like they’re becoming a social media company than an online gaming company, then we will seek to capture them,” warned Australia’s eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
Meta Platforms, Inc. is an American technology company, formerly known as Facebook, that owns popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.
