15.01.2026 18:15
In Australia, as part of regulations banning access to social media platforms for individuals under the age of 16, approximately 4.7 million accounts were disabled as of December 2025.
It has been reported that approximately 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under the age of 16 were closed following the implementation of the social media ban in Australia, which will come into effect in December 2025.
4.7 MILLION ACCOUNTS CLOSED IN THE COUNTRY
The "eSafety" Commission, responsible for internet safety in Australia, released data regarding the ban that will be implemented on December 10, 2025. Accordingly, since the enforcement of the ban, approximately 4.7 million accounts have been disabled on social media platforms.
According to ABC News, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated in his announcement that the efforts of social media companies to comply with the law were "encouraging." Communications Minister Anika Wells also described the number of closed accounts as a "great success."
American technology company Meta announced on January 12 that approximately 550,000 accounts were disabled in Australia under the law.
AGE LIMIT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USE IN AUSTRALIA
A legal regulation prohibiting access to social media platforms for young people under the age of 16 came into effect in Australia on December 10, 2025. Under this regulation, networks such as X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, as well as 10 platforms including Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick are subject to age restrictions.
The Australian government aims to reduce the negative impact of algorithms and harmful content on young people through this law.
Companies are expected to pay a fine of 49.5 million Australian dollars (approximately 32.9 million US dollars) if they do not take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of children under the age of 16.