Australia reports more than 4.7 million social media accounts blocked after under-16 ban

The prime minister said over 4.7 million Australian accounts judged to be held by under-16s were deactivated, removed or restricted after the ban came into effect on 10 December; Meta reported almost 550,000 deactivations across Facebook, Instagram and Threads.

Australia's government says more than 4.7 million social media accounts held by users platforms judged to be under 16 were deactivated, removed or restricted in the first days after a new ban took effect on 10 December. The eSafety commissioner asked each covered platform for data on how many accounts were removed to comply with the law. The government named ten platforms as covered by the ban. Officials have released aggregated numbers but declined to provide a platform-by-platform breakdown citing commercial confidentiality. Key facts: - More than 4.7 million accounts were deactivated, removed or restricted in the first few days after the ban came into effect. - The ban took effect on 10 December and requires platforms to self-assess whether it applies to them. - The government initially listed Twitch, Kick, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, X, TikTok and Reddit as covered platforms. - Meta said it had deactivated almost 550,000 accounts across Facebook, Instagram and Threads. - The opposition said some under-16 accounts had not been deactivated, some that were removed became active again, and age-verification tools were easy to bypass, according to the shadow communications minister. - Some platforms not initially named, such as Bluesky, implemented age-assurance and the government said it would approach other services if teenagers migrate. Summary: Early government-released data indicates the law led to large numbers of account deactivations but leaves questions about consistency and platform-level enforcement. eSafety will examine the data to assess compliance by individual platforms, and the government has indicated it may approach other services if needed. Further platform-level details were withheld for commercial confidentiality.