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Australia Says 4.7 Million Under‑16 Accounts Disabled Under New Social Media Law

The law targets ten major platforms and carries fines of up to A$49.5 million for breaches.

Overview

  • The eSafety Commission reported that providers disabled or blocked 4.7 million Australian accounts belonging to under‑16s in the first month after the December 10 rollout.
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the policy is working and cast it as a model that regulators in other countries are examining.
  • Meta said it has closed 550,000 accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Threads since enforcement began.
  • Reddit stated it is complying with the requirements but has filed a lawsuit challenging the ban.
  • Officials acknowledged ongoing minor accounts and data gaps due to children using parents’ profiles and announced a multi‑year study with mental‑health experts to assess long‑term effects.