What's Happening?
Meta has deactivated more than 544,000 social media accounts in Australia to comply with a new law banning social media accounts for children under 16. The law, effective from December 10, mandates platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube to prevent minors
from holding accounts. Meta's action included deactivating 330,639 Instagram accounts, 173,497 Facebook accounts, and 39,916 Threads accounts. The company expressed concerns about the challenges of determining users' ages online without a standardized industry method. Companies failing to comply with the law face fines up to $49.5 million Australian dollars. Meta has called for better age verification measures and suggested that app stores should require age verification and parental approval before app downloads.
Why It's Important?
This development highlights the increasing regulatory scrutiny on social media platforms regarding the protection of minors online. The law aims to safeguard young users from potential online harms, setting a precedent that could influence global policy. The significant number of deactivated accounts underscores the scale of underage users on these platforms, raising questions about current age verification processes. The financial penalties for non-compliance emphasize the seriousness of the regulation. This move could prompt other countries to adopt similar measures, potentially leading to a global shift in how social media companies manage underage users.
What's Next?
The Australian government is expected to release data on the number of underage users affected by the ban. Other countries, such as Germany, are considering similar regulations, which could lead to a broader international trend. Meta and other tech companies may need to develop more robust age verification systems to comply with such laws. The industry might see increased collaboration between governments and tech companies to establish standardized age verification methods. This could also lead to innovations in privacy-preserving technologies that ensure compliance while protecting user data.
