Australia declares child social media ban victory as 4.7m accounts closed

"Social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia since the country banned use of the platforms by those under 16, officials said. We stared down everybody who said it couldn't be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters, communications minister Anika Wells told reporters on Friday. list of 4 itemsend of list Now Australian parents can be confident that their kids can have their childhoods back."

"The law has provoked fraught debates in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health, and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures. Under Australian law, Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($33.2m) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of Australian children younger than 16."

"Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt. To verify age, platforms can either request copies of identification documents, use a third party to apply age estimation technology to an account holder's face, or make inferences from data already available, such has how long an account has been held. About 2.5 million Australians are aged between 8 and 15, said the country's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, and past estimates suggested 84 percent of eight to 12-year-olds held social media accounts."

About 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia were revoked or restricted after a ban on under-16 social media use began in December. Ten major platforms reported the figures to the Australian government. The law covers services including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch and carries fines up to A$49.5 million for noncompliance. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt. Platforms may verify age using identity documents, third-party age-estimation technology applied to faces, or inferences from existing account data. About 2.5 million Australians are aged 8–15.

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