One week before an official social media ban on teen use of Instagram, Facebook, and Threads apps, Meta has begun to take Australian children below the age of 16 off its platforms.

Last month, the tech giant started informing users between the ages of 13 and 15 that their accounts were going to start being closed on 4 December.

It is estimated that 150,000 Facebook users and 350,000 Instagram accounts will be affected. Just like X, threads can only be reached through an Instagram account.

The social media ban will begin in Australia on 10 December, and the companies will be fined up to A$49.5m (US$33 m, 25m) if they do not take reasonable measures to ensure that under-16s cannot have accounts.

On Thursday, a spokesperson of Meta told the BBC that the process of compliance with the law would be a multi-layered process.

Although Meta is determined to comply with the law, she did not think that this was the best and standardised method for privacy that could be taken care of, she said.

This would mean that instead of teens having to verify their age on various applications, the government should request app stores to ensure that only users over 16 are allowed to download the apps, and ask parents to approve underage persons.

Last month, Meta stated that it would allow users who it had known to be under 16 to download and archive their posts, videos, and messages prior to their account being terminated.

The teens, who feel that they have been wrongly placed as under 16, have the option of a review, and they can provide a video selfie to confirm whether they are of age. They are also able to offer a driver’s licence or a government-issued identification.