Meta has announced that it has begun removing teenagers from its platforms in Australia as the country prepares to enforce its new age-restriction laws.
According to the company, users it believes to be between 13 and 15 years old will start receiving notifications that they will soon lose access to Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Beginning 4 December, Meta will block all new under-16 accounts and gradually revoke access for existing users.
The company expects all known under-16 accounts to be removed by 10 December.
Government figures suggest that about 350,000 young people on Instagram and 150,000 on Facebook will be affected.
Teenagers have already started receiving messages warning them that they’ll be locked out. Meta reassures them that once they turn 16, they will regain access to their accounts exactly as they left them.
For those who may have been mistakenly flagged, the company says age can be verified through a video selfie or a government-issued ID.
However, many tech companies argue that the new laws are “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.
Meta reiterated its concerns, saying it supports safer online experiences but believes that completely cutting young people off from their digital communities is not the right solution.
This shift has drawn global attention, as governments everywhere grapple with the growing risks associated with social media.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, is preparing similar legislation, and the Dutch government recently advised parents to ban social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat for children under 15.
Companies that fail to follow Australia’s laws could face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million), making this one of the world’s strictest social-media age policies on paper.
Yet experts warn that without reliable tools for age verification, the policy risks becoming more symbolic than effective.
Many fear that the burden of enforcement may fall unevenly and that the human consequences for young people, who rely on online spaces for connection, support and expression, may be overlooked in the process.
