SYDNEY, Australia — Global technology conglomerate Meta has publicly criticized Australia’s pioneering social media prohibition for users under 16 years old, labeling the policy as counterproductive while revealing it has deactivated over 544,000 accounts in compliance with the controversial legislation.
Australia implemented the world-first regulatory measure in December 2023, mandating major digital platforms including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to prevent underage users from maintaining accounts. The legislation carries substantial financial penalties of Aus$49.5 million (approximately US$33 million) for companies failing to demonstrate reasonable compliance efforts.
According to Meta’s transparency report, the company eliminated 331,000 underage accounts from Instagram, 173,000 from Facebook, and 40,000 from Threads during the initial week of enforcement ending December 11. Despite this demonstrated compliance, Meta issued a formal statement urging Australian authorities to reconsider their approach.
“We advocate for constructive government-industry collaboration to develop superior alternatives,” the statement read. “Rather than implementing blanket prohibitions, we propose incentivizing industry-wide standards that deliver secure, privacy-conscious, and age-appropriate digital experiences.”
The technology giant reiterated its previous position advocating for mandatory age verification through app stores, requiring parental consent before minors can download applications. Meta warned that without such systemic solutions, platforms would engage in a perpetual “whack-a-mole” scenario as adolescents migrate to alternative applications to circumvent restrictions.
Australian government officials maintained their firm stance, asserting that social media corporations must be held accountable for the documented harm inflicted upon young citizens. “Platforms like Meta accumulate extensive user data for commercial objectives,” stated a government representative. “They possess both the capability and obligation to utilize this information to enforce Australian regulations and safeguard under-16 users.”
Meta countered that numerous parents and child development experts have expressed concerns regarding the ban’s potential to isolate youth from digital communities and push them toward less regulated platforms and darker internet spaces. Preliminary evidence suggests the legislation may be failing its primary objective of enhancing young Australians’ safety and well-being.
Addressing the complex challenge of online age verification, Meta acknowledged compliance would require a “multilayered process” while highlighting the recent establishment of the OpenAge Initiative. This non-profit consortium, co-founded by Meta, has introduced AgeKeys—innovative age-verification tools designed for integration with participating platforms.