Meta shuts down around 550,000 social media accounts in Australia

Tuesday 13 January 2026 - 11:00

By: Sahili Aya

Meta shuts down around 550,000 social media accounts in Australia

Meta has announced the closure of approximately 550,000 social media accounts in Australia as part of the enforcement of new national regulations restricting access to social platforms for users under the age of 16. The move follows the implementation of a law that came into force in December 2025, aimed at limiting the potential negative impact of social media on young people.

According to publicly available information, the disabled accounts were identified as belonging to minors across several Meta-owned platforms. The majority were linked to Instagram, followed by Facebook and the newer platform Threads. The action was carried out over a short period in early December as part of compliance measures aligned with the new legal framework.

Meta has reiterated its position that protecting young users requires close cooperation between governments, technology companies, and the wider digital industry. While supporting the goal of creating safer online environments, the company expressed concerns over age-verification systems, describing current methods as uneven and potentially problematic in terms of privacy and accuracy.

The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, is expected to release further data on the enforcement of the new law, including the overall number of underage accounts removed across different social media platforms. The legislation marks one of the most restrictive approaches globally to regulating youth access to social networks.