04:04 AM EDT, 08/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Meta Platforms ( META ) said Thursday it had removed more than 750,000 accounts it suspected were held by Australians under 16.

The company said it deactivated 462,000 suspected underage Instagram accounts and 294,000 Facebook accounts since the country's social media ban took effect in December.

Meta said the figure includes over 500,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts, which were removed in January.

The company said it uses AI to identify potential underage users by analyzing profile clues, such as birthday celebrations and references to school grades, as well as reports of suspected underage accounts.