Meta began notifying thousands of young Australians on Thursday that they have two weeks to download their data and delete their Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts before a new ban on users under 16 takes effect. Two weeks earlier, the Australian government announced that Meta’s platforms, along with Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube, must take reasonable measures to block users under 16 starting December 10.

Meta, the first company to explain how it will comply, said it has started emailing and texting young users that access will begin being restricted from December 4. The company said the early warning gives affected teens time to save their contacts and memories. They can also update their contact details to help regain access once they turn 16.

Meta estimates there are about 350,000 Australian Instagram users and 150,000 Facebook users aged 13 to 15, in a country of 28 million. Older teens mistakenly flagged can verify their age through Yoti Age Verification by submitting government ID or a video selfie. But Terry Flew from Sydney University noted that such facial-recognition systems can fail at least 5% of the time, calling them a “second-best solution” due to the lack of a national ID system.

The government has warned platforms not to demand universal proof of age, saying they already hold enough information to identify most underage users. Companies that do not take reasonable steps to block young children could face fines up to 50 million Australian dollars. Meta’s global head of safety, Antigone Davis, said she believes app stores should take responsibility for verifying users’ ages so platforms like Facebook and Instagram can operate more securely. She called for a more accurate, privacy-focused, systemwide approach.

Dany Elachi, founder of the parents’ group Heaps Up Alliance, which pushed for the age restriction, urged parents to help their children think about how to use the time they spend on social media more productively. He criticized the government for releasing the full list of restricted platforms only on November 5 but said the broader principle of keeping children under 16 off social media is one they strongly support. According to him, if all children are restricted equally, none will feel left out, and parents should encourage their kids to explore new opportunities beyond social media.