Meta Removes 756,000 Australian Teen Accounts as Enforcement Pressure Builds

Meta has removed access to 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts it believes were operated by Australians under the age of 16, as regulators step up scrutiny of compliance with the country’s pioneering social media age restrictions.

The technology company said the total covers the period from shortly before the rules took effect in December 2025 through June 2026. It includes 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. Earlier figures released in January showed 331,000 Instagram accounts and 173,000 Facebook accounts had been removed.

Australia’s restrictions took effect on December 10 amid concerns about the effects of social media on children’s physical and mental wellbeing. The policy has attracted global attention as other governments consider similar age limits for online platforms.

Meta said enforcement is continuing and that the number of disabled accounts is expected to rise. The company uses artificial intelligence to assess profile details and activity for signs that an account may belong to someone younger than 16. It also reviews reports of suspected underage users and has strengthened safeguards intended to stop removed users from immediately registering again.

The latest disclosure comes as Australia’s internet regulator considers legal action against platforms it believes may not have taken adequate steps to meet the law. The government has also moved to double the maximum penalty for non-compliance to A$99 million and expand the regulator’s powers to obtain documents.

Despite the removals, official figures and independent research cited in reporting indicate that more than eight in ten Australians under 16 remained active on social media during the first three months of the ban. That gap is likely to remain central to debate over how effectively online age checks work in practice.

Representatives from Meta, TikTok, Google-owned YouTube and Snapchat parent Snap are due to appear before a parliamentary inquiry alongside government and regulatory officials. Meta has said it supports the goal of safer, age-appropriate online experiences while continuing to argue for a consistent age signal at device or app-store level.