Meta will exclude Australians under the age of 16 from Facebook and Instagram starting December 4, six days before a sweeping law banning teenagers from social media comes into effect.
“Starting today, Meta will notify Australian users it deems to be between the ages of 13 and 15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook,” the American group announced in a statement on Thursday.
“Meta will begin blocking new accounts of people under the age of 16 and revoking existing access starting December 4, and plans to delete all known accounts of people under the age of 16 by December 10,” the text states.
Social networks risk large fines
Teenagers will be able to access their accounts “exactly as they left them” once they turn 16, Meta assured.
Starting December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16, or face heavy fines.
