Meta has begun the process of notifying under-16 account holders that they will soon lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook in adherence with new social media age restrictions.
The social media company said it will begin purging existing accounts and block new under-16 users from 4 December, and expects to complete the process by 10 December, when new Australian legislation kicks in preventing teens aged 13-15 from having accounts.
Meta has encouraged under-16 users to download and save their social media data and update contact details so that Meta can contact them when they turn 16.
Underage users can still use Messenger and WhatsApp, which fall outside of the Government’s new age.
Meta said it will use several age assurance methods while adopting a data minimisation approach to protect user privacy, but expects there to be a margin of error above and below when attempting to estimate age.
Over-16s mistakenly flagged can verify their age using video selfie or government ID, via trusted partner Yoti.
“We share the government’s goal of creating safer, age-appropriate online experiences, however blanket bans bring their own set of challenges. We have invested in tools and protections to help keep young people safe online, and we will continue to advocate for solutions that balance safety, privacy, and the positive connections young Australians find on our platforms,” Meta Australia VP and managing director William Easton said.
“For advertisers, we offered limited opportunities to target younger audiences and expect minimal to no impact on ad performance for most customers following the ban. We’re proud to offer advertising solutions that prioritise the safety and well-being of young people, while helping businesses connect with their audiences responsibly.”
Meta’s regional policy director Mia Garlick urged young users to follow the notifications to ensure their data is safely removed.
“We also ask parents to work with their children to ensure the correct birth date is registered on their social media accounts. Parents remain important partners in promoting the appropriate use of technology within their households as platforms such as ours work to comply with the law,” she said.
Meta continues to advocate for teen accounts and encourages the Australian Government to consider app-store-level age verification, a process that has been adopted in Brazil and several US states.
“Though we are committed to compliance, we must also acknowledge the findings of the Age Assurance Technology Trial, which recognises the particular challenges of age assurance at the novel 16 age boundary. We believe a better approach is required: a standard, more accurate, and privacy-preserving system, such as OS/app store-level age verification,” said Antigone Davis, vice president and global head of safety, Meta.
“This, combined with our investments in ongoing efforts to assure age and verify that signal and provide age-appropriate experiences like Teen Accounts, offers a more comprehensive protection for young people online.”
Meta is the first social media company to publicly provide a detailed timeline about how it plans to adhere to the Albanese Government’s new social media age restrictions.
These restrictions apply to apps including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube.
Platforms that are not age-restricted include Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Messenger, Roblox, Steam, WhatsApp and YouTube Kids. It is unclear where Twitch falls in the new legislation.
