Australia is luring teenagers to "less regulated" platforms, according to Meta

Meta Warns Australia’s Social Media Ban for Under-16s Could Make Teens Less Safe

Meta has raised concerns that Australia’s ban on social media use for children under 16 may be driving young users to less regulated platforms, potentially putting them at greater risk.

In a statement on Wednesday, the US tech company said, “We've consistently raised concerns that this poorly developed law could push teens to less regulated platforms or apps. We're now seeing those concerns become reality.”

Following the ban, lesser-known chat and image-sharing apps like Lemon8 and Yope, which are not currently included in the social media restrictions, have surged in downloads across Australia.

Meta added that many of these alternative apps lack safety features offered by its platforms, such as specialized teen accounts. “While we'll meet our legal obligations, we remain concerned this law will make teens less safe,” the company said.