Meta, TikTok and Snap say they oppose Australia’s youth social media ban but will comply with it

Instagram owner Meta and other social media firms say they will comply with a ban on users under the age of 16, adding that they will start deactivating accounts once the law takes effect on December 10. In parliament on Tuesday, Meta, TikTok owner ByteDance and Snapchat owner Snap said they continued to believe the ban would not protect young people, but they would soon reach out to owners of more than a million underage accounts to prepare them for the change. Their comments represented a shift in the social media industry’s response to the law, which is being watched by politicians around the world as concern grows about youth mental health. In parliament on Tuesday, Meta, TikTok owner ByteDance and Snapchat owner Snap said they continued to believe the ban would not protect young people, but they would soon reach out to owners of more than a million underage accounts to prepare them for the change. (Getty) Under the Australian law, platforms must take “reasonable steps” to block users aged less than 16 or face a fine of up to $49.5 million. The platforms previously argued that the ban would drive young people to more dangerous corners of the
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