Australia is tightening its grip on big tech companies, as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has said it has taken close to 756,000 suspected underage accounts off its platforms in the country. It is the first time Australian authorities have cracked down on the world’s toughest social media restrictions to protect children and teenagers from online harms.
In total, the company deleted over 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts of users believed to be under age 16 from December 2025 to June 2026 in compliance with Australia’s landmark social media age restriction law. The legislation requires social media companies to take reasonable steps to stop children under 16 from accessing age-restricted platforms.
Australia's Online Safety Amendment legislation, which took effect in December 2025, has been widely described as a world-first regulatory framework targeting youth access to social media. This law applies to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X, Threads, Twitch, and YouTube. Failure to comply with the law can result in significant financial penalties and regulatory action.
Meta has expressed concern about the law in the past but is committed to complying with Australian law, Meta said. Artificial intelligence-powered age detection systems have been used to identify users who appear to have misrepresented their age. They analyse account information and behavioural signals to identify underage users and close or remove them if necessary.
The move is in line with increasing pressure on social media companies from Australia's eSafety Commissioner and the federal government. Even though the ban was lifted, there are reports that many teenagers were still using social media platforms and tech companies were not doing enough to control age. Government research revealed 80 per cent of the under-16 users remained on social media in the early months following the ban.
In response to concerns about compliance, Australia recently strengthened enforcement measures by raising the potential penalties for social media companies. If passed, amendments would increase fines for non-compliance to as much as AUD 99 million and regulators looking into age-verification processes and platform safeguards would be given more power.
Meta’s actions will be questioned further at upcoming parliamentary hearings where Meta, TikTok, Snap, Google, and other tech companies will be questioned about their compliance with the law. Lawmakers want to know if platforms are doing everything they can to protect children from harmful material, cyberbullying, online predators, and excessive social media use.
The Australian government’s approach has attracted international attention, with countries across the world watching how well the restrictions work. And as the effects of social media on young people’s mental health and wellbeing continue to grow in the world, policymakers in Europe, North America, and Asia are considering similar age verification and online safety measures.
The legislation supporters say is a crucial step towards a safer digital landscape for children, but critics say age verification systems can’t prevent underage users from bypassing restrictions. Australia’s aggressive regulatory stance has placed the country at the forefront of global efforts to hold Big Tech companies accountable for child safety online.
