Post by : Meena Ariff

Australia has deactivated nearly five million social media accounts belonging to teenagers under 16, just one month after a new law came into effect. The eSafety Commission confirmed that platforms have removed about 4.7 million accounts to comply with the regulations introduced on December 10.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the move as “a source of Australian pride.”

Several countries, including France, Malaysia, and Indonesia, have announced plans to introduce similar rules. Other European nations and some US states are also considering following Australia’s lead.

Government data provides the first official insight into compliance, showing that social media companies are taking serious measures to enforce the law. Platforms that fail to comply could face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million). Children and parents, however, are not held responsible.

The deactivated accounts far exceed earlier predictions, with more than two accounts for every Australian aged 10 to 16. Meta alone reported removing around 550,000 accounts from Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.

The new age rule applies to major platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter). Reddit has said it is complying but is pursuing legal action to challenge the ban. The government has pledged to defend the law.

While critics argue the ban may be difficult to enforce, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said full elimination of underage activity is unrealistic. “We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would fail because people speed, drinking laws would fail because some kids still access alcohol,” she said.

All major social media companies initially covered by the ban have pledged compliance. Some smaller apps reported a surge in downloads before the December rollout, but eSafety said the spike did not result in continued usage.

A long-term study with mental health experts has been launched to track the impact of the ban over the coming years.

#Global News