After Australia introduced a ban on social media use for children, major digital platforms removed around 4.7 million accounts in a large clean-up exercise. The move comes as part of efforts to follow the country’s new online safety rules and reduce harmful content for young users.
The Australian government passed the law after rising concerns about online bullying, fake profiles and the mental health impact of social media on children. The ban requires platforms to stop minors from creating accounts and improve age verification systems.
Soon after the law came into force, social media companies started reviewing their user databases. During this process, millions of accounts were found to be fake, underage or in violation of platform rules. These accounts were then permanently removed.
Officials said the clean-up was necessary to make online spaces safer and more trustworthy. The government has warned that companies failing to follow the new rules could face heavy penalties.
Experts believe Australia’s decision could influence other countries to bring in similar laws. Many governments are already discussing stricter control over how children access social media.
The removal of 4.7 million accounts shows that social media companies are now under pressure to take stronger responsibility for user safety, especially when it comes to protecting children.
