Meta says it has taken down 756,000 Australian teen accounts as ban enforcement looms

Meta has deactivated 756,000 Australian accounts suspected of being operated by users under 16, following the introduction of a world-first social media ban. Between December 2025 and June 2026, the company removed 462,000 accounts from Instagram and 294,000 from Facebook. This action comes as Australia moves from threatening to enforcing strict age restrictions on social media platforms. Despite these removals, reports indicate that many under-16s continue to maintain an online presence across various platforms.