Australia bans social media for under-16s: more than 500,000 accounts deleted in a month.
Meta releases initial data, 331,000 Instagram accounts "burned," and asks the government to review the law.(Handle)
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A month has passed since the ban on social media use for teenagers under 16 was introduced in Australia, and while we wait for the government to draw up an assessment of the measure, the first data comes directly from Meta.
544,000 accounts have been deleted under the new law: 331,000 on Instagram, 173,000 on Facebook, and 40,000 on Threads , the company announced, reiterating its commitment to complying with the law but at the same time asking the Canberra government to review it to find a "better solution."
Significant figures, to which must be added the deleted accounts on other platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, X, Twitch, Snapchat and Reddit, to name only the most popular ones at the centre of the law, on which there are still no estimates or official data .
The obligation to verify the age of existing and new users is entirely up to the platforms, and they are also responsible for any penalties, which include millions of dollars in fines.
"We call on the Australian government to work constructively with the industry to find a better solution, such as incentivizing the entire industry to raise standards for safety, privacy, and age-appropriate online experiences, rather than imposing blanket bans ," Meta said, confirming its willingness to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download the app.
The government's response was blunt: "Platforms like Meta collect a significant amount of user data for commercial purposes. They must use this information in compliance with the law and ensure that minors are not present on their platforms ." In short, no changes are being discussed for now.
(Unioneonline)