The kids are offline – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Jess Weatherbed
The kids are offline.

Following Australia’s social media ban for children under 16 taking effect last month, Meta says it has now removed almost 550,000 Instagram, Facebook, and Threads accounts that it believes were run by kids under that age threshold. Despite its compliance, Meta is still voicing opposition to the law.

A screenshot breaking down the figures of almost 550,000 accounts removed by Meta for under 16s in Australia.
I’m frankly shocked that so many youngsters had a Facebook account to begin with.
Image: Meta
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