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Meta starts removing under-l6s from social media in Australia
The Straits Times
|December 05, 2025
SYDNEY - Tech giant Meta said on Dec 4 it is starting to remove under-16s in Australia from Instagram, Threads and Facebook ahead of the country’s world-first social media ban.
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Australia is obliging social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove and block users younger than 16 by Dec 10 when the law comes into force.
Platforms face fines of A$49.5 million (S$42.3 million) if they fail to take “reasonable steps” to comply.
"While we are working hard to remove all users who we understand to be under the age of 16 by Dec 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multilayered process,” a Meta spokesperson said.
Younger users can still save and download their online histories, the spokesperson said.
This story is from the December 05, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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