Meta has deactivated 544,052 accounts believed to belong to users under 16 in Australia. This includes 330,639 Instagram accounts, 173,497 Facebook accounts, and 39,916 Threads accounts. The action started on 4 December and continued until 11 December, following Australia’s new social media ban on under-16 users. Meta said in a blog post, “Ongoing compliance with the law will be a multi-layered process that we will continue to refine, though our concerns about determining age online without an industry standard remain.” The ban covers 10 platforms, including Twitch, Kick, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, X, TikTok, and Reddit. All platforms implemented age checks by 10 December 2025. The Australian government’s eSafety commissioner asked these platforms for data on deactivated accounts but has not released it yet. Opposition shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh criticized the ban’s enforcement, saying, “Many under-16 accounts have not been deactivated, while others that were initially removed have since become active again. New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.” She also noted that children have moved to platforms not yet covered by the ban, like Yope and Lemon8. The government plans to encourage those platforms to comply if needed. Some platforms not initially named, such as Bluesky, have voluntarily introduced age-assurance measures. The Australian social media ban is watched globally. The UK is considering a similar ban, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch supporting social media bans for under-16s. Meta responded by calling for the government to work with the industry to “find a better way forward” rather than enforce a blanket ban. Australia’s new law signals a major step in regulating teen access to social media but shows clear challenges in tackling age verification online.