Meta Reportedly Warns Under-16 Instagram, Facebook Users In Australia: 'Download Or Delete' Data Before National Ban Takes Effect

• The report added that Meta’s purge of under-16 users in Australia will impact around 350,000 Instagram accounts and 150,000 accounts on Facebook.
• Meta has started notifying users through SMS, email, and in-app notifications.
• For now, Messenger and WhatsApp are two apps from Meta that are not banned by the Australian regulator.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META) on Wednesday reportedly started notifying users of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in Australia who it believes to be under 16 that it will delete their accounts beginning on December 4.

According to a report by ABC News, Meta has started warning the affected users that they have until December 4 to “download or delete” their data from the company’s social media platforms.

From Dec. 10, 2025, anyone under 16 in Australia will not be able to create or maintain social media accounts on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X, among others.

Meta shares were down by 0.5% in Wednesday’s opening trade. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the company trended in the ‘neutral’ territory at the time of writing.

Around 500,000 Accounts Impacted

The report added that Meta’s purge of under-16 users in Australia will affect around 350,000 Instagram accounts and 150,000 Facebook accounts. The company has started notifying users through SMS, email, and in-app notifications, according to the report.

For now, Messenger and WhatsApp are two Meta apps that are not banned by the Australian regulator.

Prescribed Penalties

If Meta and other affected companies fail to take “reasonable steps” to remove accounts of under-16 users, the eSafety Commissioner has noted that a court in the country can impose civil penalties of up to $49.5 million AUD.

“'Reasonable steps' means platforms have to act to enforce the restrictions in a way that is just and appropriate in the circumstances. They will be in breach of the law if they show an unreasonable failure to prevent underage access to accounts,” the regulator stated in its guidelines.

META stock is up 2% year-to-date and 8% over the past 12 months.

Also See: Meta Faces Spanish Probe For Alleged ‘Silent Spying’ Of Users For Nearly A Year

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