An unprecedented decision will shake up the world of social networks. TikTok and Meta are preparing to delete hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of user accounts to comply with a new law banning access to social platforms for under 16s in Australia. A radical measure, which places the country as a world pioneer in digital regulation, but which also raises many concerns.
Adopted at the end of 2024, the Australian law on the protection of minors online will come into force on December 10. It requires all major social platforms, from TikTok to Instagram to YouTube, to prevent adolescents under the age of 16 from accessing their services under penalty of fines of up to 32 million Australian dollars (around 27.5 million euros). A sanction sufficiently dissuasive to push the tech giants to comply with the rule, even if the feasibility of such a measure remains very uncertain.
During a hearing before the Australian Senate, Ella Woods-Joyce, TikTok’s head of internal policy, confirmed that the platform would respect the law and its legislative obligations. On Meta’s side, Mia Garlick, director of public affairs at the company, admitted that the group faced many technical challenges but assured that it would be able to delete hundreds of thousands of accounts by the deadline.
Millions of people affected
TikTok, Instagram and Facebook will therefore soon see part of their user base disappear overnight. Even if these massive deletions are imposed by law, they could have direct consequences on the economic activity of the platforms, which are very dependent on their young audiences to generate traffic and advertising revenue, which is in itself another problem.
But if the measure is intended to be protective, it is not unanimous. In the sector, Australian law is considered “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”. Several experts believe that an outright ban risks pushing adolescents towards more dangerous and less supervised digital spaces. YouTube Australia spokesperson Rachel Lord warns:
“This will not make children safer, on the contrary: it will keep them away from platforms where moderation tools exist.”
The government remains inflexible and claims to want “set a new global standard for the protection of minors”. In the meantime, the big digital cleaning looks colossal. The question arises, will this measure reach Europe in the coming years?
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