Meta has started notifying Australian users it believes are under 16 that they have two weeks to download their data before their accounts are removed from Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. The company is acting ahead of a new law that will ban under-16s from holding social media accounts, which takes effect on December 10.
Meta plans to remove at least 350,000 Instagram accounts and 150,000 Facebook accounts by the deadline, with the first removals beginning on December 4. The company will also block under-16s from opening new accounts. Messenger is currently not covered by the ban.
Users who receive the warning can challenge their removal by undergoing a facial age scan via a “video selfie” or by providing government-issued ID, such as a driver’s licence. The age checks are conducted by Yoti, a company specializing in facial age estimation. Yoti does not store facial data or ID after the check, but independent testing shows its scans are less accurate at the 16+ threshold, with a 13.9% false negative rate for 16-year-olds.
Meta is also prompting younger users to download their posts and private messages before removal, and to provide contact details so the company can reach them after their 16th birthday to reopen an account. The company said it will review and improve systems for detecting under-16s who have lied about their age, using AI analysis of user behavior.
