Meta to Block Facebook, Instagram and Threads for Australian Under‑16s by December 10

Meta said it will begin deactivating Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts of Australian users under 16 starting December 4, with the process expected to complete by December 10. The move comes as part of compliance with a new national law aimed at restricting teenage access to social media.

The company has already started notifying users aged 13 to 15 through in‑app messages, email and text, warning them that their accounts will be shut down. Meta will use several age verification methods and said it will try to minimize personal data collection during the process.

Affected teens will have options: they can download their data, delete their accounts, or update their contact details so they can reactivate their accounts once they turn 16.

Analysis / Impact:
This decision is a major compliance step for Meta, marking one of the most stringent age‑based social media bans imposed by a government. For parents and younger users in Australia, it signals a shift in how social media use by minors is being regulated — not just by platform policy, but by national legislation.

For Meta, it is a significant operational challenge. The company must balance obeying the law with minimizing harm to users: age verification processes must be robust but not overly invasive. The data download option provides a way for teens to preserve their content, but deactivation could still trigger backlash from users who feel unfairly targeted or misidentified.

On a broader scale, the policy could set an important precedent. Other countries watching the Australian experiment may adopt similar regulatory frameworks, which could reshape how platforms manage age, identity and access.