Meta Begins Removing Under-16 Users in Australia

AFP/APP

Sydney: Tech giant Meta said Thursday it has begun removing under-16 users in Australia from Instagram, Threads, and Facebook ahead of the country’s world-first social media ban.

Australia is requiring social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok — to remove and block users younger than 16 by December 10, when the law takes effect. Platforms face fines of Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.

“While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by 10 December, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” a Meta spokesperson said.

Younger users will still be able to save and download their online histories, the spokesperson added.

“Before you turn 16, we will notify you that you will soon be allowed to regain access to these platforms, and your content will be restored exactly as you left it.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/meta-to-remove-under-16-australians-from-facebook-instagram/

Meta said it is committed to complying with the law, but urged that app stores should bear the responsibility of verifying user ages rather than social media platforms.

“The government should require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval whenever teens under 16 download apps, eliminating the need for teens to verify their age multiple times across different apps,” the spokesperson said.

“Social media platforms could then use this verified age information to ensure teens are in age-appropriate experiences.”

YouTube has also criticised the new ban.

The video-streaming giant said this week the law would make young Australians “less safe” because under-16s could still visit the website without an account but would lose safety features such as filters.

But the government dismissed the argument as “weird.”

“If YouTube is reminding us all that it is not safe and there’s content not appropriate for age-restricted users on their website, that’s a problem that YouTube needs to fix,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said.