Meta cancelled 750,000 Australian under-16 accounts
Meta Platforms Inc. reports that it has eliminated access to over 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia, which are thot to be associated with individuals under the age of 16, following its adherence to the nation’s significant youth social media prohibition initiated last year. The figure encompasses over 500,000 accounts. Meta removed prior to the law’s implementation in December, along with those it has subsequently shut down, the company stated on Thursday. That encompasses 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. “Enforcement is ongoing, and these numbers will continue to grow,” the Menlo Park, Calif. company stated. Meta has disclosed information regarding its enforcement actions to the Australian government, aiming to enhance transparency with the public. The company noted that it employs AI-powered detection alongside various other measures.
Regulators, parents, and academics have been scrutinising early indicators of the effectiveness of Australia’s new regulations, assessing their potential impact or lack thereof. The regulations, which came into effect in December, mandate that companies such as Meta, Snap Inc., and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok prohibit individuals under the age of 16 from holding accounts or face potential fines. The regulations were motivated by concerns regarding the impact of social media on youth. In the wake of Australia’s recent actions, over two dozen nations have either implemented their own prohibitions or are contemplating analogous measures. However, a significant number of Australian children have managed to circumvent these restrictions or have not yet encountered age verification processes.
A report last month by Australia’s online safety regulator, known as eSafety, indicated that the ban resulted in only a marginal decrease in underage users during the initial three months of its implementation. The proportion of individuals under the age of 16 who reported using a social media platform in March was 81.5%, a decrease from 85.9% prior to the implementation of the law. “The primary reason children continued to hold age-restricted social media accounts at three months appeared to be ineffective implementation of age assurance measures,” eSafety said.
Approximately 38% of children aged 10 to 15 with Instagram accounts indicated that their continued presence on the platform was due to the absence of a request for age verification, according to the report. For Facebook, the figure was approximately 28%. Children utilising alternative platforms indicated comparable statistics. A spokesperson for Meta did not provide an immediate response regarding the estimated number of individuals under the age of 16 who may still possess Instagram or Facebook accounts in Australia, nor did they comment on the findings of the eSafety report. eSafety’s commissioner has yet to provide a response to a request for comment regarding Meta’s update.
