Meta to remove under-16 Australians from Facebook, Instagram on December 4

SYDNEY, Australia — Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as Canberra prepares to enforce sweeping laws banning teens from social media.

Australia will from December 10 force social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.

Meta said that it would start removing teenagers from its platforms ahead of the ban coming into force.

"From today, Meta will be notifying Australian users it understands to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook," Meta said in a statement.

"Meta will begin blocking new under-16 accounts and revoking existing access from 4 December, expecting to remove all known under-16s by 10 December."

Teenagers will be able to access their accounts "exactly as you left it" once they turn 16, Meta said.

Social media companies have previously described the laws as "vague", "problematic" and "rushed".

Meta again voiced its concerns on Thursday.

"We share the Australian Government's goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn't the answer."