Meta starts notifying under-16s of account shutdowns ahead of Australia’s social media banRia PandeyNewsWireThu, 20 November 2025 4:50AM
Thousands of teenagers have been warned by Meta to download or delete their data before Australia’s world-first social media ban takes effect.
The company has started sending notifications to children aged 13 to 15 and has given them two weeks’ notice to save their data before account access will start being revoked from December 4.
From Thursday, users will receive the 14-day notice via in-app messages, email and text messages before losing access, with the company expecting to remove all known under-16s by December 10.
The ban will affect children on Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
Young users will still be able to use Messenger, which previously required a Facebook account, as it is outside of the scope of the new laws, the company said.
“For all our users aged 15 and under, we understand the importance of the treasured memories, connections, and content within your accounts,” Meta regional policy director Mia Garlick said.
“Look out for our official notifications and follow the instructions to safely preserve and download your digital history across Instagram, Threads, and Facebook.
“When you turn 16 and can access our apps again all your content will be available exactly as you left it.”
Once accounts start being restricted, if someone over 16 mistakenly loses access, the user can verify their age using video selfie or government ID on third-party app Yoti, Meta said.
The company said this step will be mandatory for someone changing their age from under 16 to over 16.
However, given the complexity of determining age online, Meta said is anticipates a margin of error when attempting to estimate young people’s ages.
“Though we are committed to compliance, we must also acknowledge the findings of the Age Assurance Technology Trial, which recognises the particular challenges of age assurance at the novel 16 age boundary,” Meta vice president and global head of safety Antigone Davis said.
“We believe a better approach is required: a standard, more accurate, and privacy-preserving system, such as OS/app store-level age verification.
This, combined with our investments in ongoing efforts to assure age and verify that signal and age-appropriate experiences like Teen Accounts, offers a more comprehensive protection for young people online.”
Aside from Meta-owned Instagram, Facebook and Threads, several other social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, and Kick, will become age restricted, with accounts for those under 16 deactivated or deleted on December 10.
Originally published as Meta starts notifying under-16s of account shutdowns ahead of Australia’s social media ban
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