Younger Australian teenagers on Instagram, Facebook and Threads are being told their accounts will be shut down ahead of the country’s social media ban for under-16s.
Meta, which owns the three brands, said it had begun notifying users it believes to be between 13 and 15 years old by text, email and in-app messages that their accounts would start being deactivated from 4 December.
The ban in Australia comes into force on 10 December. It affects a number of platforms which also include TikTok, YouTube, X and Reddit.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the “world-leading” ban was aimed at “letting kids be kids”. Meta and other firms oppose the measure but said they would comply.
