Australian Teen Social Media Accounts to Be Deactivated from December 10

Meta notifies teenagers 13–15 to close accounts, download content, and comply with new age restrictions on platforms.

Meta announced that it has started sending text, email and in-app messages to users it believes to be between the ages of 13 and 15 informing them that their accounts will begin to be deactivated on December 4.

Younger Australian teenagers using Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are being told that their accounts will be closed ahead of the country's social media ban for those under the age of 16.

Australia's ban will go into effect on December 10. It affects a lot of platforms which also include TikTok, YouTube, X and Reddit. "Letting kids be kids" is the goal of the "world-leading" ban, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Although Meta and other firms disagree with the measure, they said they would cooperate.

The company requesting users to update their details so that they might alert them whether they are eligible for opening an account. Before their accounts are closed, they can download and store their messages, videos, and posts.

Teens who claimed they were old enough to use Facebook, Instagram, and Threads could challenge the ban, stated Meta, by taking a video selfie that would be used in face age scans. As well, they could offer a driver's license or another official legal ID.

Julie Inman Grant, Australia's e-Safety Commissioner, says that the ban is aimed at protecting teens from pressures and risks they may be exposed to while logged in to social media accounts. Also, mandatory age checks will be implemented for accounts that use chat features, beginning in December in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, followed by the rest of the world in January.