We stared down everyone who said it couldn’t be done, including some of the most powerful and wealthy companies in the world,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Friday
Social media companies have deactivated or restricted access to roughly 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children in Australia since the country banned social media use for those under 16, officials confirmed.
“We stared down everyone who said it couldn’t be done, including some of the most powerful and wealthy companies in the world,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Friday.
“Now Australian parents can be confident their kids can have their childhoods back.”
The figures, reported by 10 major platforms, are the first to show the impact of the ban, which was enacted in December amid concerns about harmful online content and its effects on young people.
The law has sparked debate in Australia over child safety, mental health, privacy, and technology use, and has drawn international attention from countries considering similar measures.
Under the law, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Twitch face fines of up to AUD 49.5 million ($33.2 million) if they fail to remove accounts belonging to Australians under 16.
Messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are exempt.
To verify users’ ages, platforms can request ID documents, use third-party age-estimation technology, or infer age from available account data, such as the length of time an account has existed.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, noted that about 2.5 million Australians are aged 8–15, and past estimates suggested 84% of 8–12-year-olds held social media accounts.
While the exact number of accounts on the 10 platforms is unknown, Inman Grant called the deactivation of 4.7 million accounts “encouraging.”
“We’re preventing predatory social media companies from accessing our children,” she said.
All 10 major platforms complied with the ban and reported removal figures to regulators on time. Going forward, social media companies are expected to focus on preventing children from creating new accounts or bypassing restrictions.
Since the ban was first debated in 2024, other countries, including Denmark, have considered similar restrictions. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted the global attention:
“In spite of some scepticism, it’s working and being replicated around the world—a source of Australian pride.”
Opposition politicians have raised concerns that young people may be migrating to smaller, less regulated apps. Inman Grant said initial data showed a spike in downloads of alternative apps when the ban began, but no corresponding increase in usage.
She also revealed that her office plans to introduce “world-leading AI companion and chatbot restrictions in March,” though she did not provide further details.
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