Entertainment
Meta to remove under-16 Australians from Facebook, Instagram on December 4
Australians younger than 16 will be removed from Facebook and Instagram on December 4, tech giant Meta said Thursday, as Canberra prepares to enforce sweeping laws banning teens from social media.
From December 10, Australia will force social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, to remove users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.
Meta said that it would start removing teenagers from its platforms ahead of the ban coming into force.
“From today, Meta will be notifying Australian users it understands to be aged 13-15 that they will lose access to Instagram, Threads and Facebook,” Meta said in a statement.
“Meta will begin blocking new under-16 accounts and revoking existing access from 4 December, expecting to remove all known under-16s by 10 December.”
There are around 350,000 Instagram users aged between 13-15 in Australia and around 150,000 Facebook accounts, according to government figures.
Meta has started warning impacted users that they will soon be locked out.
“Soon, you’ll no longer be able to use Facebook and your profile won’t be visible to you or others,” reads a message sent to impacted users.
“When you turn 16, we’ll let you know that you can start using Facebook again.”
Teenagers will be able to access their accounts “exactly as you left it” once they turn 16, Meta told them.
Hefty fines
Accounts that were flagged by mistake could verify their age using a “video selfie” or by providing government-issued ID.
Social media companies have previously described the laws as “vague”, “problematic” and “rushed”.
Meta again voiced its concerns on Thursday.
“We share the Australian Government’s goal of creating safe, age-appropriate online experiences, but cutting teens off from their friends and communities isn’t the answer.”
There is keen interest in whether Australia’s sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, will introduce a similar bill to restrict children’s social media use.
And the Dutch government advised parents this year to forbid children under 15 from using social media apps like TikTok and Snapchat.
Social media companies caught flouting the laws will face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).
On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.
But some experts are concerned that the law will be merely symbolic because of the difficulty in implementing and policing online age verification.
Entertainment
Owen Cooper makes history as youngest Golden Globes winner
Owen Cooper achieved a major milestone by becoming the youngest-ever to win a Golden Globe Award.
The 16-year-old star won the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television for his role in Adolescence as Jamie Miller.
After receiving the award, Cooper expressed gratitude for the support he received for debut role in his acceptance speech.
“Wow, standing here with a Golden Globe, it does not feel real whatsoever,” he began. “What an incredible journey me and my family have been put through.”
He added, “We are forever grateful for what these people have done for me and my family. What started off as, what I thought [was], ‘I might be okay, I might be awful. I never know.’ So I took a risk, and I went to drama classes.”
Talking about his experience of taking drama classes, Cooper revealed that he was “the only boy there.” and it was “embarrassing”.
The British actor continued, “But I got through it, and I’m still very much an apprentice. So still learning every day. I’m still learning from the people that I sat in front of, you sat in front of me, who’s inspired me.”
He then went on acknowledge Netflix for casting him in the series, before concluding, “Bring on 2026. You’ll never walk alone.”
Cooper was up against Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Walton Goggins (The White Lotus), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Tramell Tillman (Severance) and Ashley Walters (Adolescence).
Following his major win Cooper is set for his silver screen debut as young Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights releasing on February 14.
Entertainment
Golden Globes winners list for 2026: Live updates
Here’s what to know about tonight’s Golden Globe awards
- The 2026 Golden Globes are honoring the standouts in film and television, along with a new award this year for Best Podcast.
- “One Battle After Another” scored the most nominations for any movie with nine, including nods for Best Comedy, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress and Actor.
- The third season of HBO’s “The White Lotus” earned six nominations, including for Best Drama Series and a slew of acting nods.
- Nikki Glaser is returning to host the show for the second year in a row.
- The Golden Globes are airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on CBS television stations and streaming live on Paramount+.
- “Golden Eve: The Golden Globes Honor Helen Mirren & Sarah Jessica Parker,” aired Thursday, Jan. 8, on CBS and can be streamed on Paramount+. Mirren received the Cecil B. DeMille Award and Parker received the Carol Burnett Award.
Follow updates below for the full list of winners and nominees in each category as they are announced.
Entertainment
Paris Hilton assures fans Britney Spears is ‘doing good’
Paris Hilton is pushing back on growing concern surrounding Britney Spears, assuring fans that the pop star is in a good place despite recent headlines questioning her behavior.
Speaking to the Daily Mail at the WWD Style Awards in Santa Monica on Friday, Hilton addressed the chatter directly and offered a calm, confident update about her longtime friend.
“She’s doing good,” Hilton said of the Gimme More singer. She then repeated the sentiment, adding, “She’s doing really good.”
The two have remained close over the years, and Hilton recently spent time with Spears along with her children, son Phoenix and daughter London.
Spears later shared a heartfelt Instagram post reflecting on the visit, describing a tender moment with Hilton’s son.
“My relationship with little Phoenix was quite intense he actually let me hold him forever and he held my chest and looked up to me and his stunning mamma was miraculously so beautiful in letting me hold him for so long,” Spears wrote.
She also praised Hilton’s role as a parent, adding, “I’m so proud of Paris for being such a strong, beautiful mother!!!!!!!”
Spears ended the message by thanking Hilton for celebrating her birthday with her and writing, “You already know I love you sis!!!!”
Hilton’s reassurance comes after reports suggested Spears had distanced herself from members of her family.
In November 2025, a family insider told the Daily Mail that the singer had stopped responding to messages.
“She isn’t returning texts, won’t pick up calls, and won’t even read DMs,” the source claimed.
Another family source described her behavior as “disturbing” and said it was raising “a lot of red flags right now,” leaving relatives unsure how to move forward.
Speculation continued in December when Spears was photographed returning from a Cabo trip carrying a baby carrier and wearing a mystery ring.
Later that month, she spent Christmas with her younger son, Jayden, 19, while her older son, Sean Preston, 20, stayed with her sister Jamie Lynn Spears.
Spears appeared to address family tensions in a pointed Christmas Instagram post, writing, “Merry late Christmas to my beautiful family who have never disrespected me, harmed me, ever done anything completely unacceptable or caused unbelievable trauma, the kind you can’t fix …”
Despite the mixed signals playing out publicly, Hilton’s words offer a steady counterpoint.
As someone who has known Spears for decades, her message is clear, from her perspective, there is no reason for alarm, and Britney Spears is doing just fine.
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