Meta Begins Warning Young Australians Ahead of World-First Under-16 Social Media Ban

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Meta has begun sending thousands of young Australians two-week warnings to download their data and prepare for account deletion ahead of a world-first ban on social media accounts for children under 16. The new Australian law, announced earlier this month, requires platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube to take “reasonable steps” to block underage users beginning December 10.

On Thursday, Meta became the first major platform to outline its compliance plan, notifying suspected under-16 account holders via SMS and email. From December 4, those users will begin losing access. “We will start notifying impacted teens today to give them the opportunity to save their contacts and memories,” Meta said, adding that teens may also update contact information to help regain access once they turn 16.

Meta estimates that 350,000 Australians aged 13 to 15 use Instagram and 150,000 use Facebook. Users incorrectly flagged as underage can verify their age through Yoti Age Verification by submitting government ID or a “video selfie,” though experts warn facial-recognition tools have at least a 5% failure rate.

The government has cautioned platforms against requiring all users to verify their age, arguing companies already possess enough data to identify many under-16 accounts. Failure to take reasonable action could result in fines up to AU$50 million.

Meta’s global head of safety, Antigone Davis, urged a broader solution, calling for app stores to verify users’ ages at sign-up. Parent advocates, meanwhile, say families should begin preparing children for life with less social media and more offline activities. – ERMD/TX

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