Australia’s Landmark Social Media Ban: 4.7 Million Accounts Deactivated
Tech News, 21 January,2026: As of January 2026, Australia has officially implemented its world-first Social Media Minimum Age Act, fundamentally altering the digital landscape for minors. The legislation, which came into full effect on December 10, 2025, mandates a strict minimum age of 16 for users on major social platforms.
The scale of the “digital cleanup” has been unprecedented. According to official data released by the eSafety Commissioner this week (January 16, 2026):
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Total Deactivations: Approximately 4.7 million accounts have been deactivated or restricted across 10 major platforms in the initial rollout phase.
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Meta’s Contribution: Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads) alone deactivated nearly 550,000 accounts in Australia that were identified as belonging to users under 16.
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Platform Breakdown: The ban covers the “Big 10”: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (Twitter), Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Threads, and Kick.
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The Penalty: Platforms failing to take “reasonable steps” to block minors face staggering fines of up to AU$49.5 million ($33.2 million) per violation.
How the Ban is Being Enforced
Rather than a simple “checkbox,” companies are now forced to use advanced Age Assurance Technology:
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AI Facial Estimation: Using a “video selfie” where AI estimates the user’s age based on facial features.
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Age Inference: Platforms analyze existing user data and behavioral patterns to “guess” the real age of an account holder.
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Third-Party Verification: Use of “Age Keys” or digital wallets where age is verified once and then shared as a secure signal to various apps without sharing the user’s actual identity.
