Meta to block Instagram and Facebook for users under 16 in Australia | Science, Climate & Tech News

Meta will stop Instagram, Facebook and Threads for users in Australia under the age of 16, the company has said.

The block will come into effect by 10 December to comply with the country’s social media ban for young teenagers.

Meta, which operates the three apps, said it had begun notifying users it believed were between 13 and 15 that their accounts will be shut down through in-app messages, email and texts.

From 4 December, it will start deactivating the accounts and blocking new sign-ups by anyone under 16.

The company said the process was expected to be completed by 10 December.

It previously indicated to Australian politicians it would only begin removing access once the law comes into effect on that date.

The company said it would use several age assurance methods to comply with the ban and adopt a “data minimisation approach”, only seeking additional information when it had reason to doubt a user’s stated age.

“While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” said Antigone Davis, Meta’s vice president and global head of safety.

Read more:
Australia’s social media ban can be enforced ‘effectively’ – report

There are around 350,000 Instagram users and around 150,000 Facebook users aged between 13 and 15 in Australia, according to the country’s internet regulator. No data has been published for Threads.

Meta said affected teenagers can update their contact details to be notified once they turn 16.