Over 4.7 million accounts deactivated under Australia's social media ban for children

Canberra, Jan 16 : Over 4.7 million accounts belonging to children were deactivated in the first days of Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s, the federal government said on Friday.

Data released by the government's eSafety commissioner revealed that social media companies removed access to around 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children under 16 in the days after the ban took effect on December 10.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that it was encouraging that social media companies were making a 'meaningful effort' to comply with the ban.

"Change doesn't happen overnight. But these early signs show it's important we've acted to make this change," he said.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement that she was 'very pleased' with the preliminary results, but acknowledged reports of some accounts belonging to children under the age limit remaining active.

"While some kids may find creative ways to stay on social media, it's important to remember that just like other safety laws we have in society, success is measured by reduction in harm and in re-setting cultural norms," she said.

The government did not reveal how many accounts were deactivated by each of the 10 platforms covered by the ban, including TikTok, X and YouTube.

Meta announced on Monday that it had deactivated over 544,000 accounts across its platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads as of December 11.

Under laws passed by the federal parliament in 2024, social media companies that fail to take reasonable steps to enforce the ban will face fines worth up to 49.5 million Australian dollars (about $33.17 million).

On December 10, Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s came into effect, with 10 major platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X, required to prevent them from holding accounts.

In a video message to students around Australia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had said that the government has made the change to support children who have grown up with algorithms, endless social media feeds and the pressure they bring.