Meta adapts to Australian social media restrictions
By the end of June 2026, Meta has restricted access to over 750,000 accounts on Facebook and Instagram in Australia that they determined belonged to individuals under the age of 16. This effort included the removal of more than 500,000 accounts prior to the law’s implementation, as reported in January. The removal of accounts is an ongoing process, and Meta expects these numbers to continue rising. The company reports its enforcement actions to the eSafety Commissioner and plans to regularly update the public.
Data from December 2025 to June 2026
Identifying the age of users online is a complex, ongoing process. The figures represent a series of enhancements made throughout the year, building on strategies introduced in May and further explained to families in June:
- AI-powered detection: Meta employs artificial intelligence to scrutinize profiles, examining posts, comments, bios, and captions for contextual hints that suggest the account holder might be under 16, such as birthday celebrations or mentions of school grades.
- Simplified reporting: The company has improved the process for parents and the community to report suspected underage accounts, both within the apps and through the Help Centre for Facebook and Instagram.
- AI-enhanced report reviews: Reports of accounts suspected of being underage are now evaluated with AI assistance, improving accuracy and speeding up resolutions compared to human reviews alone.
- Prevention of re-registration: Systems have been enhanced to prevent the creation of new accounts by users whose previous accounts were removed.
- App Store age rating: Meta has updated its Apple App Store age rating to 16+ in Australia.
Supporting Australian parents
Beyond enforcement, Meta has engaged in educational efforts. Between June and July, they conducted a campaign on Facebook and Instagram in Australia, reaching approximately 1.3 million people, to provide guidance on detecting and removing accounts of individuals under 16, how this impacts a teenager’s account and memories, and how parents can verify and correct stated ages.
Meta emphasizes the importance of parental awareness when young people use social media. Keeping parents informed is crucial to making these protections effective.
Future directions
Meta shares the Australian Government’s objective of ensuring safe, age-appropriate online experiences for young people and is committed to fulfilling its legal obligations. The company will continue investing in reliable age verification methods while maintaining privacy, and they will provide further updates as progress is made.
Meta highlights the need for a unified approach across platforms to age verification, suggesting that age should be verified once when setting up a device or downloading an app, rather than repeatedly across various applications.
