Meta says it has removed 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts under Australia’s social media ban for users under 16. The company used AI detection, user reports and account-creation checks, although early data suggests many teenagers continue to access social platforms.
Meta removes 756,000 underage accounts
Australia’s under-16 social media ban took effect in December 2025. Since then, Meta says it has removed hundreds of thousands of accounts belonging to users below the legal minimum age.
The company reported removing 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts. Together, that amounts to 756,000 accounts.
Meta says enforcement remains ongoing and that the total will continue to rise. The company also reports its enforcement activity to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner and plans to publish periodic updates.
The Australia social media ban applies to a range of major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, X, YouTube, Threads and Kick.
AI tools identify potentially underage users
Meta says it uses AI-powered systems to identify accounts that may belong to under-16s. The technology reviews contextual clues in posts, comments, biographies and captions.
The company also made it easier for parents and other users to report accounts they believe belong to underage people. AI systems review those reports alongside other signals to improve accuracy.
Meta has also strengthened its systems to stop users from quickly creating replacement accounts after an earlier account was removed.
Age detection remains difficult for social media companies. Platforms must enforce age limits while limiting the collection of sensitive personal information and avoiding errors that could affect legitimate adult users.
Australia introduced broad restrictions for under-16s
Australia introduced the rules to reduce social media-related harm among children and teenagers.
The government cited concerns around social isolation, exclusion, sleep deprivation, addictive behaviour and low self-esteem. Supporters of the policy argue that younger people should spend more time on offline activities and relationships.
The restrictions do not remove every challenge connected to young people’s online lives. Instead, they place responsibility on platforms to prevent underage users from creating and maintaining accounts.
Meta says it supports the goal of giving young people safer, age-appropriate online experiences. The company has pledged to continue improving its age-assurance methods while considering user privacy.
Many teens may still access social media
Early figures suggest that removing accounts has not fully stopped teenagers from using social platforms.
A recent study found that 85.9% of under-16s used at least one social media platform before the rules took effect. In the following three months, that figure fell to 81.5%.
The findings also indicated that many teenagers who already had accounts retained them or created new accounts after removal.
The figures highlight the practical difficulty of enforcing platform-wide age limits. While Meta’s account removals show the scale of enforcement, the continued use of social media by under-16s suggests that platforms and regulators still face a significant challenge.
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