Meta (META.US)向澳洲禁令低头，强制关停55万青少年账号

Core Insights - Meta has shut down nearly 550,000 accounts in Australia to comply with a new law prohibiting social media use by individuals under 16 years old [1] - The law, effective from December 10, imposes significant penalties for non-compliance, marking Australia as the first democratic nation to implement such strict measures against social media concerns [1] - Meta continues to oppose the ban, advocating for standardized age verification mechanisms and broader industry protections for young users [1] Summary by Category Account Shutdowns - Approximately 330,000 Instagram accounts, 173,000 Facebook accounts, and nearly 40,000 Threads accounts were closed as they belonged to users under 16 years old [1] Legal Context - The new law mandates that platforms like TikTok and Instagram must prevent underage users from accessing their services, with fines up to 49.5 million AUD (approximately 33 million USD) for violations [1] Industry Response - Meta expressed concerns about the potential for young users to migrate to alternative social media platforms, which could complicate regulatory efforts [1] - The company highlighted the need for a proactive approach to avoid a "whack-a-mole" scenario where users evade restrictions by switching to new applications [1]