More than 4.7 million accounts have been switched off in the first month of Australia’s world-first social media ban for under-16s, with the government declaring the crackdown a roaring success.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the milestone one month after 1.2 million teenagers were kicked off social media platforms, many of whom held multiple accounts.
“Today we can announce that this is working,” Albanese said, insisting the ten banned social media companies are complying with the federal government ban.
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WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The impact of the teen social media ban.
“We’re preventing predatory social media companies from accessing our children,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant added.
However, not everyone is convinced by the numbers. Meta says it has removed around 500,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts, raising questions about where the remaining 4 million accounts came from.
“You are going to see the government saying one thing and then maybe teens saying another and the platform saying a third thing,” former Facebook Australia CEO Stephen Scheeler said.
7NEWS understands the 4.7 million figure includes Google accounts that are inactive or have been deleted, including accounts that never accessed platforms like YouTube.
The teen social media ban has been in place for a month. Credit: AAPPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has deemed it a success. Credit: 7NEWS
“It’s around the details here that’s really important. Details matter on such an important policy,” shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh said, adding it’s also important to know how many new accounts have been created during this time.
The eSafety Commissioner has refused to reveal where the government’s number came from.
Meanwhile, some young teens say they’re still connected. “I got Instagram left. I live out of town so it’s hard for me to make plans if I don’t have it,” one teenager said.
Another added: “I didn’t get banned on any.”
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