Meta has announced that it will begin removing accounts of users under the age of 16 from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads starting December 4, following Australia’s new child-safety regulations.
According to international media, the Australian government has introduced strict rules that will completely ban social media use for anyone under 16 from December 10.
People who fail to comply may face heavy fines.
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The directive applies to all major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, requiring them to ensure no underage users remain active.
Meanwhile, Meta has also launched an awareness campaign in Pakistan in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the educational platform EYEYAH! The initiative, titled “Is This Real?”, aims to educate people about common online scams and help promote safer digital habits.
The campaign focuses on seven widely reported types of fraud: romance scams, shopping scams, impersonation, investment fraud, job scams, account hacking, and deceptive messages.
The content has been designed in a fun, game-style format to help users easily recognise red flags and avoid falling victim.
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PTA Chairman Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman praised the collaboration, saying that the authority is committed to creating a safer and more informed digital environment.
He added that the initiative reflects the joint efforts of PTA and Meta to improve digital literacy and protect users from online threats.
Meta’s Head of Pakistan Public Policy, Dania Mukhtar, said: “At Meta, we take the safety of our community in Pakistan very seriously, and we continue to remove scammers from our platforms. However, these fraudsters constantly change their methods and target multiple apps at once, making detection more difficult.”
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The campaign is part of Meta’s wider APAC effort, which is being rolled out across more than 15 countries to encourage safer online interactions.
