▲ Meta
Meta Platforms, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, announced on the 12th (local time) that it has disabled 756,000 accounts estimated to belong to users under the age of 16, in compliance with Australia's social media ban for minors under 16.
In a press release issued that day, Meta stated that it had blocked access to 462,000 Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts between December of last year and the end of June this year.
This figure includes approximately 500,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts that Meta proactively deleted prior to the law's effective date of December 10 of last year (local time).
This announcement comes amid intensifying regulatory pressure from the Australian government.
According to Reuters, Australia's internet regulatory authority is currently considering enforcement lawsuits against major social media platform operators, including Meta, arguing that they have not taken sufficient measures to comply with the law.
Previously, the Australian government introduced a bill to raise the maximum fines imposed on operators for violating the law from an initial 50 million Australian dollars (approx. 49.9 billion Korean won) to 99 million Australian dollars (approx. 98.7 billion Korean won), while strengthening the regulatory authority's document inspection powers.
In addition, representatives from major platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat are scheduled to appear as witnesses at an Australian parliamentary hearing on the 14th to be questioned on their compliance efforts.
Meta initially strongly opposed the bill, arguing that the side effects would be too severe, but has since shifted its stance to compliance.
In the press release, Meta stated, "We share the Australian government's goal of ensuring that teens and children have a safe and age-appropriate experience online, and we are faithfully fulfilling our obligations under the law," adding, "We will continue to provide updates on future progress."
The social media industry argues that the biggest challenge of the law is the method of age verification.
The law places the responsibility of age verification on the platforms, which means that if each platform collects IDs or official documents, it could pose serious security risks to both operators and users.
Meta explained that to carry out these account closures, it took measures such as using artificial intelligence (AI) to review profiles and posts to estimate whether users are under 16, and simplifying the reporting process for banned accounts.
Meta argued, "It is desirable to have a reliable age verification process at the operating system (OS) or app store level, such as on smartphones," adding, "If teenagers verify their age just once during device setup or app store usage, they will not need to go through repeated authentication processes across multiple social media apps."
Australia enacted the world's first ban targeting children and adolescents late last year, citing severe harms from social media such as cyberbullying and worsening self-esteem, but controversy continues over its effectiveness.
According to Australian government announcements and other sources, more than 80% of children under 16 were still found to be using social media during the first three months after the law took effect.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.