Meta · White House · The Guardian Technology
Meta also found support from parent, advocacy and research groups that it supports financially in pushing back against teen bans
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Meta’s reliance on influencers to fight the bans suggests the company recognizes it can’t fight these measures, which would could cost it millions of users, alone, said Katie Paul, the director of the Tech Transparency Project.
Key facts
- In July 2025, Meta gathered parenting influencers from all over Australia at a waterfront venue overlooking the Sydney Opera House
- The reporter n November 2024, Australia became the first country in the world to ban teens under 16 from using social media apps
- In February 2026, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s electronics information technology minister, said the government was discussing age-based social media restrictions
- Concern over teen use of social media has been growing since at least 2021, when whistleblowers including Frances Haugen and Arturo Bejar shared internal Meta documents showing the company knew teens
Summary
In July 2025, Meta gathered parenting influencers from all over Australia at a waterfront venue overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Meta was playing defense: the company had five months until the Australian government planned to enforce a new law that banned children under 16 from using social media platforms. A new report by the Tech Transparency Project, a digital advocacy group, shows that whenever a government began discussing social media regulations for teens, Meta started recruiting lifestyle, parenting and mental health creators to promote parental and other safety controls the company already offers, including its accounts for users between the ages of 13 and 17, which have more restrictions than regular accounts. Meta also found support from parent, advocacy and research groups that it supports financially in pushing back against teen bans or restrictions, according to the report.