Stricter Youth Safety Rules Drive Mass Account Restrictions
Meta has removed access to more than 750,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts in Australia that it determined belonged to users under the age of 16. The move follows Australia’s world-first social media minimum-age rules, which came into effect on 10 December 2025.
AI Used to Identify Underage Users
According to Meta, the company is using AI-powered systems to identify accounts that may belong to under-16 users. These systems analyze signals such as profiles, posts, comments, captions and references to school grades or birthdays. Meta says enforcement remains ongoing.
Wider Impact on Social Media
Australia’s rules require age-restricted platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from maintaining accounts. The policy affects major services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit and Threads.
The Australian government says the restrictions are intended to reduce young people’s exposure to harmful content and platform features that can encourage excessive screen use.
