Under-16s social media ban locks business accounts of dance teacher

""It was Instagram that went first," Ms Cronk said. "My personal one went and then everything else just started going as well.""

""I got a message saying I was under the age of 16 and my account was disabled and that I could verify my age.""

""I uploaded three times. I tried my driver's licence, a bank card and my passport.""

""I think the most dangerous thing for me wasn't losing my social media accounts, it was losing the Meta business login,""

Kiera Cronk, a 30-year-old dance teacher and mother of three from Hobart, had her personal and business Facebook and Instagram accounts disabled after being flagged as under 16 under Australia's new under-16 social media ban. She attempted age verification by uploading a driver's licence, bank card and passport three times; all uploads were rejected. Her TikTok account remained active. Paid Facebook and Instagram advertisements continued to run, costing about $250 per week, while access to the Meta business login was lost. The national ban covers ten platforms and reports note children bypassing restrictions using facial tricks, family images or VPNs.

Read at Abc