4.7m social media accounts deleted under Australia's under-16 ban

Social media platforms have disabled, deleted or restricted more than 4.7 million accounts since Australia banned under-16s from holding their own accounts last month, the government said on Friday, describing it as an "important" step to keeping children safe online.

The law, which came into force on December 10, makes Australia the first country to introduce nationwide age-based restrictions of this kind and positions it as a global test case for online child protection.

Preliminary assessments by the eSafety Commissioner show affected platforms are making "meaningful effort" to prevent minors from accessing their services, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs," Albanese said in a statement.

"Every account deactivated could mean one extra young person with more free time to build their community and identity offline," said Communications Minister Anika Wells.

The rules apply to platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, X, Reddit and Twitch. Messaging and gaming services such as Roblox, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt.

Parliament passed the legislation in late 2024 with backing from most major parties. Affected companies were given a year to introduce age verification measures, and violations will result in hefty fines of up to $49.5 million Australian ($33 million US).

Reddit has filed a legal challenge against the ban.