أستراليا تحاصر حسابات الأطفال.. «ميتا»: 750 ألفًا تحت الحظر

Meta has revealed the deletion or disabling of more than 750,000 accounts suspected to belong to Australian users under the age of 16, as part of Australia's unprecedented ban on teen accounts, amid increasing regulatory pressures that may push tech companies to tighten age verification measures.

The company, which owns the platforms Facebook and Instagram, stated in an official announcement today (Thursday) that it has disabled 462,000 suspected accounts on Instagram and 294,000 accounts on Facebook during the period from before the Australian ban took effect in December until June.

These numbers indicate a significant increase compared to the data announced by Meta in January, when it stated that it had removed 331,000 accounts on Instagram and 173,000 accounts on Facebook suspected to belong to users under the age of 16.

Unprecedented Australian Law

These measures come as Meta attempts to comply with an Australian law that the company and other social media platforms have publicly opposed, while the Australian Internet regulator considers legal action against platforms it claims have not taken sufficient steps to comply with the new rules.

Other platforms have not yet announced similar data covering the same time frame specified by Meta, but multiple Australian government figures and independent studies have shown that more than eight out of ten users under the age of 16 remained active on social media platforms during the first three months of the ban's implementation.

The Australian government proposed the law, which came into effect on December 10, driven by increasing concerns about the impact of social media on the physical and mental health of children and teenagers at a young age.

As other countries around the world consider similar age-based restrictions on social media use, Australia has accused tech companies of attempting to undermine the law or make it effectively unenforceable.

The government has also introduced legislation that raises the maximum penalty for non-compliance with the rules to 99 million Australian dollars, equivalent to about 69.75 million US dollars, in addition to granting the regulatory body broader powers to access documents and evidence.

“Meta”: Ban Measures Ongoing

Meta stated in a release, “The enforcement of the ban is still ongoing, and the number of accounts that will be removed or disabled is expected to rise.”

The company added that it shares the Australian government's goal of ensuring that young people have safe and age-appropriate online experiences, affirming that it is meeting its obligations under the law.

Representatives from Meta, TikTok, and Google, which owns YouTube, along with representatives from Snap, which owns Snapchat, are scheduled to appear before a parliamentary inquiry on Friday to discuss the new changes, alongside government and regulatory officials.

How Does Meta Detect Users' Ages?

The companies rely on advanced technologies to estimate users' ages as part of their verification processes.

An Australian trial conducted in 2025 regarding age verification technologies concluded that products available on the market could support the enforcement of a ban on users below the specified age.

Most major platforms, including Meta's platforms, have launched programs to estimate users' ages based on images, but the companies clarified that they usually first infer age based on users' online activity and digital behavior.

Meta stated that it uses artificial intelligence technologies to analyze profiles for contextual indicators that may suggest the account belongs to someone under 16.

These indicators, according to the company, include posts or references to birthday celebrations, discussions about school grades, as well as analyzing reports submitted by users regarding accounts suspected to belong to minors.

The company also added that it has removed the ability for individuals to make additional attempts to create a new account if their previous account was deleted due to suspicion of not reaching the legal age allowed.

Regulatory Battle Beyond Australia

The significance of the Australian measures extends beyond the local market, as several countries around the world are monitoring Canberra's experience in imposing age restrictions on social media use, amid a global discussion on how to protect children and teenagers from digital risks without depriving them of internet access.

At the same time, tech companies face increasing pressure to develop more accurate tools for verifying users' ages, especially given the difficulty of relying on data provided by users themselves when creating accounts.

While Meta affirms its commitment to the Australian law, the rising number of accounts being discovered and disabled, along with the potential for hefty financial penalties, places social media platforms before a new test regarding their ability to enforce effective age restrictions on a large scale.

Developments indicate that the use of artificial intelligence and age estimation technologies has become an essential part of the new regulatory battle, as governments continue to seek more effective mechanisms to protect minors from the risks of social media platforms.