Instagram and Facebook began shutting down accounts of users under 16 years old on Thursday, a week before Australia's social media ban takes effect.
The under-16s social media ban will come into force from December 10; however, Meta alerted users last month that it would begin shutting down accounts from December 4.
According to the eSafety commissioner's February report, there are around 150,000 Facebook accounts and 350,000 Instagram accounts held by people between the ages of 13 and 15 years old.
A Meta rep noted that for individuals who are under 16, they can preserve and download their digital history across all platforms, and when they can access their accounts, the "content will be restored exactly as you left it."
Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit, Kick, Twitch and YouTube have all been identified by the government as needing to implement the ban by next week.
All companies apart from X and Reddit have said they will comply with the ban.
Notably, Australia's world-first social media ban, which will officially begin next week, will have companies facing fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million) if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to stop under-16s from having accounts.
