Over 550,000 Social Media Accounts Deactivated in Australia Amid Under-16s Ban
In its first month under Australia's social media ban, Meta has identified and deactivated nearly half a million underage accounts across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The total number of deactivated accounts stands at 544,052, with Instagram bearing the brunt at 330,639 instances.
The Australian government introduced the ban in December, requiring major social media platforms to implement age checks for users under 16. Since then, Meta has been working to identify and remove accounts belonging to minors. The company claims that ongoing compliance with the law will be a multi-layered process, but has expressed concerns about determining age online without an industry standard.
Notably, some platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) had already begun implementing age checks before the ban was enforced. However, many under-16 accounts have been found to be easily bypassable through simple measures like makeup and good lighting. The shadow communications minister has criticized the government for its handling of the policy, saying that it "has fallen flat" due to widespread evasion.
Children who lost access to social media platforms during the initial ban period have migrated to alternative sites such as Yope and Lemon8, which are not included in the ban. Meta is calling on the Australian government to engage constructively with industry to find a better way forward for ensuring age-appropriate experiences online.
In its first month under Australia's social media ban, Meta has identified and deactivated nearly half a million underage accounts across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The total number of deactivated accounts stands at 544,052, with Instagram bearing the brunt at 330,639 instances.
The Australian government introduced the ban in December, requiring major social media platforms to implement age checks for users under 16. Since then, Meta has been working to identify and remove accounts belonging to minors. The company claims that ongoing compliance with the law will be a multi-layered process, but has expressed concerns about determining age online without an industry standard.
Notably, some platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter) had already begun implementing age checks before the ban was enforced. However, many under-16 accounts have been found to be easily bypassable through simple measures like makeup and good lighting. The shadow communications minister has criticized the government for its handling of the policy, saying that it "has fallen flat" due to widespread evasion.
Children who lost access to social media platforms during the initial ban period have migrated to alternative sites such as Yope and Lemon8, which are not included in the ban. Meta is calling on the Australian government to engage constructively with industry to find a better way forward for ensuring age-appropriate experiences online.
i mean yeah some kids might think it's cool to have a fake account but what about the ones who are genuinely using it to escape or express themselves online? like shouldn't we be trying to create safer spaces for them instead of just trying to control it?
like what even is that number gonna look like in 10 yrs? and i don't get why they can't just implement a more reliable age check system or something. this whole "multi-layered process" thing sounds like corporate speak for "we have no idea how to do this".
we gotta find a way to balance freedom of expression with keeping our kids safe online.
. I remember when I was 13 and my friends were all obsessed with this one app that let you make these sick vids, but we had to use a fake age to access it because our parents wouldn't let us have Facebook 
. Now, I'm not saying I condone people using makeup and good lighting to try and trick the system, 'cause that's just gonna lead to more problems 
. But at the same time, it feels like these platforms should be doing more to help out instead of just relying on us to figure it out ourselves 
. It's all about finding a balance between keeping the kiddos safe online and not suffocating them with too much red tape 
.
Yope and Lemon8 might be legit or not, we don't know. What we do know is that Meta's trying to do their part, but they need some help from gov... maybe a standardized age check system? 
. And the fact that people can just use makeup and good lighting to bypass age checks is wild 
. I think it's time for Meta and the gov to sit down and work out a better solution, not just keep kicking kids offline 
.
It's all just a mess. And what about the alternative sites like Yope and Lemon8 that are just waiting in the wings, ready to fill the gap? 
. And what about the ones who didn't have any accounts in the first place? Did they even know about the ban or how to access these alternative sites? 
.
I'm surprised it's taken this long for Meta to identify that many underage accounts... 
And now these kids are just going to find new ways to evade the system... like, hello, I get it, we're all still figuring this out, but can't we just figure it out together?! 
just found out that over 550k social media accounts got deactivated in Australia and I'm kinda glad it's not my kids' accounts 
but seriously, can't believe some under-16s thought they could just fake their age and still get to hang out on Instagram and Facebook 
. I think we need to find a better way to make sure these sites are safe for everyone, not just the kids. Maybe more education and awareness campaigns can help? And maybe the gov't could look into implementing some sort of industry standard for age checks? Just seems like we're playing whack-a-mole here 
550k accounts gets deactivated and suddenly it's a big deal? Like, what's the point of even having social media if you're just gonna be 13 or something? 
I mean, I'm not saying parents are bad for letting their kids use it without proper supervision, but come on, it's not like they were all being cyberbullied or anything 
I get that the government wants to protect them, but can't we find a better way to do it without ruining everyone else's online experience? 
And what about all these alternative sites like Yope and Lemon8? Are they gonna become the new normal or is that just another headache for parents to deal with?