Meta Deletes 756,000 Facebook and Instagram Accounts in Australia Following Landmark Teen Social Media Ban

In a massive regulatory compliance effort, parent company Meta announced on Thursday that it has deleted more than 756,000 accounts belonging to suspected underage users in Australia. This sweeping action comes in the wake of Australia's groundbreaking national legislation prohibiting children and teenagers under the age of 16 from maintaining profiles on major social media networks. As legal pressures mount and internet regulators threaten strict penalties, tech giants are facing immense scrutiny over user age verification and platform safety.

Behind the Numbers: Meta's Massive Account Purge

According to Meta’s official compliance disclosure, the company systematically deactivated hundreds of thousands of accounts suspected of belonging to minors in the lead-up to and following the enforcement of the new laws. During the six-month period from December through June—just as Australia's youth social media ban rolled out—Meta removed approximately 462,000 suspicious Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. By January alone, targeted removals had already accounted for 331,000 profiles on Instagram and 173,000 on Facebook, highlighting the scale of underage access on these platforms.

Australia’s World-First Legislation on Teen Social Media Use

Meta's aggressive purge is a direct response to landmark legislation passed by the Australian government, driven by growing public and clinical concerns over the detrimental impacts of excessive social media exposure on the mental and physical well-being of adolescents. The sweeping law officially took effect nationwide on December 10, barring individuals under 16 from holding active accounts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and other leading services.

While Meta and several other major tech companies initially opposed the legislation—arguing that alternative measures such as enhanced parental controls and app-store age verification checks would be more effective—the company has stated its commitment to complying with the legal framework.

Regulatory Pressure and Ongoing Compliance Challenges

Despite Meta's massive account deletions, Australia's independent internet regulator has signaled that oversight will remain rigorous. Authorities are actively considering legal action against platforms that fail to demonstrate robust compliance and adequate enforcement mechanisms. Independent studies and government data revealed that in the months leading up to the ban, over 80 percent of children and teens under 16 were still accessing social media, often circumventing restrictions by falsifying birth dates, utilizing parental profiles, or finding alternative workarounds. As regulatory bodies demand tighter security, tech platforms face an ongoing battle to protect younger demographics online.