4.7M social media accounts closed after Australia ban
Around 4.7 million accounts have been removed from 10 social media platforms after Australia banned their use by children under 16 in December, the government said Friday.
Following the enforcement of the legislation on Dec. 10, 2025, major social media companies removed access to the accounts in the first half of the month, according to initial data released by the Australian eSafety Commissioner.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight. But these early signs show it’s important we’ve acted to make this change,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told a press conference.
He said the ban was working and now being replicated around the world, with countries, such as France, Indonesia, and Malaysia, looking to make similar moves.
Age-restricted platforms
Under the law, age-restricted platforms are required to take “reasonable steps” to prevent those under the age of 16 in Australia from having accounts, or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million).
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said all of the 10 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube were currently complying with the law.
The data also showed that while downloads of social media services other than those restricted under the law spiked, it has not necessarily translated into sustained usage, the commissioner said.
Meanwhile, some children remain active on social media even after the law took effect through such means as falsifying birth dates and circumventing age verification entrusted to the operators, with some saying nothing has changed.
Indi, 13, told Kyodo News that she continues to use video-sharing app TikTok despite receiving a notification on the platform informing her that those under 16 were no longer able to use it.
“You just press OK, and you still have your account,” said Indi, who declined to give her surname.
Falsified birth date
Jack, 13, who also did not give a last name, said he falsified his birth date when creating his account and had not been asked to verify his age on any platforms, adding that none of his friends had been affected by the ban.
However, Amelie, 12, said she was “actually pretty happy” with the ban, noting a lot of her friends had become more social and outgoing since it took effect.
“I’ll be reading my classroom chat and people will be saying, ‘Oh, how about we all do this on the weekend,’ when two months ago it was silent,” said Amelie, who only gave her first name.
