Australia says millions of underage social media accounts were shut down in the first month after a sweeping new ban on users under 16 took effect.
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SocialmediacompanieshaveremovedaccesstomillionsofaccountsbelongingtochildreninAustraliainthefirstmonthsincethecountry’shistoricbantookeffect,requiringplatformssuchasInstagram,SnapchatandTikToktoidentifyanddeactivateusersundertheage16.
Accesswasrevokedforroughly4.7millionusers,accordingtoAustralianofficials,whoonFridaytoutedtheearlysuccessofthelaw,whichwasenactedinmid-Decemberamidfearssurroundingtheimpactofonlineenvironmentsonyoungpeople.
“Today,wecanannouncethatthisisworking,”PrimeMinisterAnthonyAlbanesesaidduringanewsconference.“ThisisasourceofAustralianpride.Thiswasworld-leadinglegislation,butitisnowbeingfolloweduparoundtheworld.”
Underthelaw,10socialmediagiants—Facebook,Instagram,X,TikTok,Snapchat,Kick,Reddit,Threads,TwitchandYouTube—mustlocateanddeactivateaccountsofAustralianusersundertheageof16.Thecompaniesfacefinesofupto$33
