The strict application of a ban on social media use by the population under the age of 16 in Australia delivered a stunning blow in the first month of the operation.
In a blog post, Meta stated that between December 4-11, it deactivated;
- 330,639 Instagram accounts
- 173,497 Facebook accounts, and
- 39,916 Threads accounts.
According to a press release.
We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward, such as incentivising all of industry to raise the standard in providing safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate online experiences, instead of blanket bans.
This historic legal action that was implemented on 10 December 2025 was forcing the large-scale technology companies to swiftly realign their operations to prevent fines of between A$49.5 million (around $33 million).
Swift Compliance Across Platforms
The eSafety Commissioner has reported that 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 were deactivated by the platforms.
Meta itself shut down half a million Instagram, Facebook, and Threads accounts. YouTube, Tik Tok, and Snapchat on one side and X (ex-Twitter) on the other side obeyed the deactivation mandate.
I am very pleased with these preliminary results.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.
It is clear that eSafety’s regulatory guidance and engagement with platforms is already delivering significant outcomes.” Ban’s Roots and Early Ripples
Origins of the Ban and Early Effects
The bill was passed with the intention of protecting the minors against any harm on the internet, where the third-party age-check software should be implemented by the websites. The implementation of the regulatory framework was based on public education efforts.
Despite some smaller platforms having a short-lived download increase before measures were implemented, eSafety reports show that the spikes of migrations have already faded. Therefore, full compliance is expected as age-checking systems become more advanced.
Numbers Tell the Story
| Platform/Stat | Impact |
| Total Accounts Removed | 4.7 million |
| Fine per Violation | Up to A$49.5M |
Looking Ahead
A longitudinal mental health study of the long-term consequences of the ban will compare the outcomes in terms of decreased digital addiction and increased psychological health. Challenges in enforcement have received criticisms, but initial evidence indicates that this has been successful: sites are spending billions on age-checking software around the world.
The model in Australia may be replicated across the world, with the potential of turning the interaction between youth and major technological companies globally, should it be implemented.
The effectiveness of this solution will eventually rely on subsequent technological improvements, although preliminary signs show a potential resurgence of life in the face to face factor among the minors.
