Australia’s social media ban on children younger than 16 has been under fire as teenagers launched a legal battle against it in the highest court.
This legal challenge comes two weeks before the first-of-its-kind law is going to take full effect on December 10, 2025.
According to Digital Freedom Project, a campaign group led by NSW parliamentarian John Ruddick, it has launched legal proceedings in Australia’s High Court, aiming to block the law. Two teens, 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland are the plaintiffs in the case.
In a statement issued by the campaign group, this under-16 ban violates constitutional political freedom of Australian teens by requiring age verification.
"The legislation is grossly excessive," the statement said.
According to Neyland, the young plaintiff, this law prohibits young people from expressing their views online.
She continued, “Young people like me are the voters of tomorrow ... we shouldn't be silenced. It's like Orwell's book 1984, and that scares me.”
In response to the legal action, Communication Minister Anika Wells vowed to stand firm against these challenges.
“Despite the fact that we are receiving threats and legal challenges by people with ulterior motives, the Albanese Labor government remains steadfastly on the side of parents, and not of platforms,” Wells said.
Under this government-launched ban, more than 1 million accounts of those who are under 16 are set to be deactivated in Australia. This ban is applied to social media apps, including TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram.
