Meta closed 7.5 accounts belonging to children under 16 in Australia after the law banning social media came into effect.

Meta reports that over 7.5 Instagram and Facebook accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 have been shut down in Australia. However, eSafety data shows that 81.5% of underage children are still using social media.

On August 13, 2569, at 11.25:XNUMX a.m., Bloomberg News reported that MetaPlatforms revealed that The company has suspended access to more than 750,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts in Australia believed to belong to users under the age of 16 since the implementation of Australia's child social media ban, which came into effect last December.

These figures include over 500,000 accounts that Meta closed before the law came into effect, and additional accounts closed afterward, comprising 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts.

Meta specify that Enforcement of the measures continues, and the number of accounts closed will increase. Details of the operations will be reported to the Australian government and information will be made public. The company uses both AI-powered detection systems and other measures to identify users who may be underage.

The law is considered a globally significant measure to control youth use of social media, requiring platforms like Meta, Snap, and ByteDance's TikTok to prevent accounts created by children under 16, otherwise they may face fines.

The measures stem from concerns about the impact of social media on children and young people, and following Australia's implementation of similar regulations, more than 20 countries have either introduced their own measures or are considering similar restrictions.

However, the effectiveness of the law remains controversial, as many children can find ways to circumvent restrictions or are not yet subject to age verification by platforms.

A July report by eSafety, Australia's online safety regulator, found that in the first three months after the law came into effect, 81.5% of children under 16 reported still using social media platforms, a slight decrease from 85.9% before the law took effect.

eSafety specify that A major reason why children can still hold accounts on age-restricted platforms is due to the inadequate enforcement of age verification measures.

Among children aged 10-15 who still have Instagram accounts, approximately 38% indicated that the platform has never asked for age verification, compared to about 28% of Facebook users in the same age group.

This information reflects that: Although Meta has shut down more than 750,000 child accounts, Australia's laws banning social media for children still face enforcement challenges, particularly in age verification and preventing young people from finding ways to circumvent platform restrictions.

refer : www.bloomberg.com

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