Meta removes 756,000 under-16 Facebook, Instagram accounts in Australia

Meta said Thursday it has deactivated 756,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts in Australia that it assessed as belonging to users under the age of 16.

As of June 30, 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts were deactivated, Meta said in a statement.

Australia was the first country in the world to introduce a nationwide minimum age of 16 for social media accounts, with the restrictions taking effect in December 2025.

More than 500,000 accounts were removed in the lead-up to the law taking effect, with additional accounts removed in subsequent months, Meta said.

Other countries are also moving to tighten social media access for children. France has introduced a nationwide ban for users under 15, while Spain, Malaysia and several other countries are considering similar age restrictions.

Meta said enforcement remains ongoing and that the number is expected to rise.

The company said it uses artificial intelligence to analyze posts, comments, biographies and captions for indications that an account holder may be under 16, including references to birthdays and school grades.

Meta has also simplified the process for parents and other users to report suspected underage accounts and introduced AI-assisted reviews of such reports.

It has strengthened measures designed to prevent removed users from registering new accounts and changed the Australian Apple App Store age rating for its platforms to 16+.