Social media giant Meta will start locking kids out of their Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts a week before the federal government’s social media ban comes into effect.
From December 10, Australians under the age of 16 will be banned from having social media accounts on various platforms.
Meta has started messaging tens of thousands of users that their accounts will be wiped on December 4.
The company has sent emails, texts, and messages to impacted users, warning them to download or delete data from their accounts before it is lost.
Meta concedes that some people who are over 16 may get caught up in the purge, with an appeals process in place for those who want to challenge the ban.
That will include having to provide a video selfie or government-issued ID
The world-first ban is expected to affect 350,000 Instagram users and 150,000 Facebook users.
Meta’s Messenger app is not included in the ban.
