Meta announced on Thursday that Australians under the age of 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram starting December 4, ahead of new government rules set to take effect next week.
From December 10, Australia will require social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, to remove all users under 16, with hefty fines for non-compliance.
Meta said it will proactively start restricting access to its platforms before the law comes into force.
“From today, Meta will notify Australian users it believes to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads, and Facebook,” the company said in a statement.
Meta added that it will block new accounts created by under-16 users and revoke access to existing accounts starting December 4, aiming to remove all identified users by December 10.
According to government data, approximately 350,000 Instagram users and 150,000 Facebook accounts in Australia belong to users aged 13-15.
Meta has begun alerting affected users that they will soon be locked out.
"Soon, you'll no longer be able to use Facebook and your profile won't be visible to you or others," reads a message sent to impacted users.
"When you turn 16, we'll let you know that you can start using Facebook again."
Teenagers will be able to access their accounts "exactly as you left it" once they turn 16, Meta told them.
Hefty fines
Accounts that were flagged by mistake could verify their age using a "video selfie" or by providing government-issued ID.
Social media companies have previously described the laws as "vague", "problematic" and "rushed".
Meta again voiced its concerns on Thursday.
"We share the Australian Government's goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn't the answer."
There is keen interest in whether Australia's sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will introduce a similar bill to restrict children's social media use.
And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.
Social media companies caught flouting the laws will face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
But some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic because of the difficulty in implementing and policing online age verification.
