Younger Australian teenagers on Instagram, Facebook and Threads are being told their accounts will be closed ahead of a social media ban on under-16s.
Meta, which owns three brands, said it has begun notifying users aged 13 to 15 via text, email and in-app messages that their accounts will begin to be deactivated on December 4.
The ban in Australia comes into effect on December 10. This affects a number of platforms, including TikTok, YouTube, X and Reddit.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the “world-leading” ban was aimed at “letting children be children”. Meta and other firms oppose the measure but have said they will comply.
Australia's internet regulator estimates there are 150,000 Facebook users in the 13-15 age group and 350,000 teenagers on Instagram.
As of December 4, children under the age of 16 will not be able to create accounts on Meta social networks.
The company said it is asking younger users to update their contact details so they can be notified when they are eligible to open an account.
They can download and save their posts, videos and messages before their accounts are closed.
Mehta said teens who said they were old enough to use Instagram, Facebook and Threads could challenge the restriction by taking a “video selfie” that would be used in a facial age scan.
They may also provide a driver's license or other government-issued identification.
All of these verification methods were tested by the UK's Age Verification Certification Scheme (ACCS) earlier this year in a report commissioned by the Australian state.
ACCS said all methods have their advantages, but added: “We have not found a single solution that is suitable for all use cases, nor have we found solutions that are guaranteed to be effective in all cases.”
Social media platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” to block users under 16 face fines of up to A$50 million (£25 million).
“While we are working diligently to remove all users we determine are under 16 by December 10, compliance with the law will be an ongoing and multi-layered process,” Antigone Davis, vice president and global head of security at Meta, told Reuters Financial.
Meta wants to see a law requiring children under 16 to get parental approval before downloading a social media app.
The firm told Australia's Seven News: “Teenagers are resourceful and may try to circumvent age controls to access restricted services.”
But it said: “We are committed to meeting our compliance obligations and are taking the necessary steps to comply with the law.”
Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the ban was aimed at protecting teenagers “from the pressures and risks they may be exposed to when logging into social media accounts.”
To avoid the ban, gaming platform Roblox this week announced that children under 16 will not be able to communicate with adult strangers.
Mandatory age verification will be introduced for accounts using chat features starting in December for Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands, and in January for the rest of the world.
