Australia Shuts Down 5 Million Teen Social Media Accounts Following New Ban

Post by : Mina Rahman

In a bold move, Australia has disabled approximately five million social media accounts belonging to individuals under the age of 16, following the implementation of a new law just a month ago. The eSafety Commission reported that about 4.7 million accounts were removed by various platforms to adhere to the regulations enacted on December 10.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed this action as “a point of Australian pride.”

Countries like France, Malaysia, and Indonesia are exploring similar initiatives. Several European nations and certain U.S. states are also considering adopting Australia's framework.

Initial government data reveals significant compliance, indicating that social media companies are taking robust measures to implement the law. Non-compliance could lead to penalties of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million), but children and their parents are exempt from legal consequences.

The number of accounts deactivated far surpasses early estimates, with over two accounts shut down for every Australian aged 10 to 16. Meta has reported the removal of approximately 550,000 accounts across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

The age restrictions apply to key platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and X (previously Twitter). Reddit has acknowledged compliance but is actively pursuing legal avenues to contest the ban, while the government stands firm in its support of the regulation.

Critics argue that enforcing the ban may prove challenging, but eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant indicated that completely eradicating underage social media use is unattainable. “We don’t anticipate safety laws to eradicate every single infraction. If we held that expectation, speed limits would fail due to some speeding, and drinking laws would be ineffective as minors still access alcohol,” she stated.

All primary social media platforms affected by the ban have committed to compliance measures. Meanwhile, some smaller apps saw a notable increase in downloads prior to the December deadline, but the eSafety Commission indicated that this surge did not translate into sustained user engagement.

A comprehensive long-term study has been initiated, involving mental health professionals, to assess the ban's effects in the coming years.