Facebook and Instagram to start kicking Australian teenagers off platforms as social media ban looms

Meta users under 16 will be sent email, SMS and in-app messages in anticipation of 10 December, when ban will begin

The ban will affect users on Facebook and Instagram, as well as Threads, as an Instagram account is required to use that platform

Australian Facebook and Instagram users under 16 will be notified starting Thursday that their accounts will be deactivated by 10 December, as Meta begins to comply with the Albanese government’s social media ban.

Users affected by the ban will receive 14 days’ notice of their pending account deactivation through a combination of in-app messages, email and SMS before their access is cut off.