WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - Since Australia implemented a ban on social media use by children under the age of 16 in December, approximately 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children have been removed by social media companies. This initiative aims to mitigate the adverse effects of harmful online environments on young people.
Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells expressed confidence in the ban's effectiveness, stating, "We stared down everybody who said it couldn’t be done, some of the most powerful and rich companies in the world and their supporters. Now Australian parents can be confident that their kids can have their childhoods back." This landmark legislation has ignited widespread discussions in Australia concerning technology use, privacy, child safety, and mental health, prompting other nations to contemplate similar restrictions.
The reported figures come from ten major social media platforms that advised the Australian government on their compliance efforts regarding the ban. To enforce the law, these platforms face potential fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately $33.2 million) if they do not take reasonable steps to remove accounts of Australian children younger than 16. However, messaging services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger have been exempted from this requirement.
To verify user ages, social media platforms have been given several options: they may request copies of identification documents, utilize third-party age estimation technologies that analyze users’ facial features, or make inferences based on existing user data, such as the duration of account ownership.
According to the eSafety Commissioner of Australia, Julie Inman Grant, there are about 2.5 million Australians aged between 8 and 15 years, with previous estimates indicating that 84% of 8- to 12-year-olds maintain social media accounts. While the total account numbers across the ten platforms remain undisclosed, the removal of 4.7 million accounts is viewed as a promising development in efforts to enhance child safety online.
Inman Grant stated, "We’re preventing predatory social media companies from accessing our children." The ten platforms have complied with the regulations and have reported the removal statistics to Australia’s regulatory body in a timely manner. Moving forward, social media companies will need to focus on preventing children from creating new accounts or circumventing the ban.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, reported that by the following day after the ban took effect, it had deactivated approximately 550,000 accounts associated with users believed to be under 16. In a blog post discussing these figures, Meta voiced its criticism of the ban, cautioning that smaller platforms not covered by the policy may not prioritize safety and that algorithm-driven content continues to reach children.
The law has garnered significant support among parents and child safety advocates while facing opposition from online privacy proponents and some youth groups. Critics argued that online spaces can provide vital support for vulnerable young individuals and those in isolated rural areas of Australia. Some users have claimed they successfully bypassed age verification technologies, aided by parents or older siblings.
In light of Australia’s legislative move, other countries are now considering similar social media restrictions. Danish officials, for instance, announced their plans to impose a social media ban for children under 15 starting in November, demonstrating a growing international trend following Australia’s lead.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed pride over the country’s initiative, emphasizing its successful implementation despite skepticism. He mentioned that the achievement is now being replicated in other parts of the world. However, opposition lawmakers have raised concerns that young people may be circumventing the ban or switching to less monitored platforms. Inman Grant noted that while there was an observable increase in the downloads of alternative apps after the ban’s introduction, there was no corresponding surge in active usage.
Looking forward, Inman Grant indicated that the eSafety regulator plans to introduce “world-leading AI companion and chatbot restrictions” in March, although further details on this initiative have yet to be revealed.
