<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/meta" rel="" target="_blank" title="Meta"><span>Meta</span></a><span> has revealed it shut down more than half a million </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/social-media" rel="" target="_blank" title="accounts"><span>accounts</span></a><span> before and after </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia's"><span>Australia's</span></a><span> world-first </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-ban-about-avoiding-the-truth/4ccfac45-9ee4-45e0-b189-d7b7b3aed2ea" rel="" target="_blank" title="social media ban"><span>social media ban</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In an update today, Meta says it banned 544,052 accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 between December 4 and December 11. Most of the accounts were on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/instagram" rel="" target="_blank" title="Instagram"><span>Instagram</span></a><span> and </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/facebook" rel="" target="_blank" title="Facebook,"><span>Facebook</span></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meta senior account executive Kathleem Walsh used today's announcement to reiterate the company's stance against the ban.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-weather-floods-update-ex-cyclone-koji-david-crisafulli/c289abc7-8084-453e-86f6-0cbd6ca8e5c2" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>'Real risk': Queensland premier warns of new weather threat after ex-cyclone</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The premise of the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/law" rel="" target="_blank" title="law"><span>law</span></a><span>, which prevents under 16 year-olds from holding a social media account so they aren't exposed to an 'algorithmic experience,' is false," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Platforms that allow teens to still use them in a logged-out state still use algorithms to determine content the user may be interested in - albeit in a less personalised way that can be appropriately tailored to a person's age."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Walsh identified Meta's major concerns with the ban, including teens being isolated from supportive online communities and a lack of interest in teens and parents upholding the ban.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-social-media-ban-meta-instagram-facebook/b4e1535d-6a02-4719-a230-d61174ad9053" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-bushfires-updates-body-found-longwood-blaze-emergency-warnings-in-place/1204a8a3-ef3b-4ab3-98e2-990abc6b2320" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Bushfire death 'devastating', premier says, as blazes still rage</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said specific legislation change was the only way to ensure the ban was implemented consistently and to keep up with new platforms that may pop up as a consequence of the new laws.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Legislation should require app stores to verify age and obtain parental approval before their teens under 16 can download an app," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is the only way to guarantee consistent, industry-wide protections for young people, no matter which apps they use, and to avoid the whack-a-mole effect of catching up with new apps that teens will migrate to in order to circumvent the social media ban law."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Walsh said the company was committed to ensuring their platforms comply with the new regulations, and also called on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/federal-politics" rel="" target="_blank" title="federal government"><span>federal government</span></a><span> to commit to an open dialogue with social media companies.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We call on the Australian government to engage with industry constructively to find a better way forward, such as incentivising all of industry to raise the standard in providing safe, privacy-preserving, age-appropriate experiences online, instead of blanket bans," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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