Instagram to shut accounts of Australian teens ahead of under-16 social media ban

According to the BBC, Meta has been sending notices by text, email and in-app alerts to teenagers flagged as under the required age. The company said it would stop children under 16 from creating new accounts on its platforms from 4 December.

Meta told the BBC that young users were being asked to update their contact details so they could be notified once they become eligible to open a new account. They will also be able to download and save their posts, videos and messages before their accounts are deactivated.

Australia’s internet regulator estimates that around 3,50,000 Instagram users and 1,50,000 Facebook users fall into the 13–15 age group.

How teens can challenge the age restriction

Meta said teenagers who believe they meet the age requirement can challenge the decision by submitting a “video selfie” for facial age estimation or by providing a government-issued ID such as a driver’s licence. These verification options were tested earlier this year by the UK-based Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) in a review commissioned by the Australian state.

The ACCS found that while each method had benefits, “we did not find a single ubiquitous solution that would suit all use cases, nor did we find solutions that were guaranteed to be effective in all deployments,” BBC reported.

Also Read: Why Australia is planning to ban social media for teenagers

Under the new law, social media platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent under-16s from accessing their services could face fines of up to A$50 million. Meta’s head of safety, Antigone Davis, told Reuters, as cited by the BBC, that compliance would be “an ongoing and multi-layered process.”

Meta has said it would prefer a system where children under 16 must obtain parental approval before downloading apps. The company told Australia’s Seven News that “teens are resourceful, and may attempt to circumvent age assurance measures,” but added that it is committed to meeting its obligations.

Government says ban aims to protect children

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the measure as a “world-leading” ban intended to “let kids be kids,” according to the BBC. Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said it was designed to protect teenagers “from pressures and risks they can be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts.”

In a separate move, gaming platform Roblox, which is not included in the ban, announced it would restrict children under 16 from chatting with adult strangers. Mandatory age checks for accounts using chat features will roll out from December in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and globally from January.