Social Media Giants Comply with Australian Under-16 Ban

Meta, the owner of Instagram, and other social media companies announced on Tuesday their compliance with Australia's ban on users under 16. The law, effective December 10, mandates deactivation of underage accounts to address rising concerns over youth mental health.

In parliament, representatives from Meta, TikTok's ByteDance, and Snapchat's Snap expressed continued opposition, arguing the ban may push young users to unsupervised digital spaces. Nonetheless, they committed to engaging over a million account holders to prepare for the change, indicating a strategic shift in their approach.

Companies plan to use automated behavior-monitoring software to verify ages and will offer account holders the option to delete or temporarily store data. Any misjudged accounts can seek third-party age verification. Snap continues to develop a solution for users deemed incorrectly underage.