MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government is moving forward with a new law that prohibits young children from using social media, set to take effect next month. This decision comes despite a constitutional challenge filed by a rights advocacy group, the Digital Freedom Project, in the High Court. They are opposing the law, which bans Australian children under 16 from having accounts on certain social media platforms.
Communications Minister Anika Wells addressed the challenge in Parliament, reaffirming the government’s commitment to implementing the ban as planned. She emphasized that the government would not be swayed by legal opposition or the influence of major tech companies, stating, “On behalf of Australian parents, we stand firm.”
John Ruddick, president of the Digital Freedom Project and a member of the state legislature with the minor Libertarian Party, expressed concerns about the implications of this legislation. He believes that parents should be responsible for overseeing their children’s online activities rather than leaving it to the government and bureaucracies. Ruddick argued that the ban undermines young people’s rights to political communication.
The legal challenge is being pursued by a local law firm representing two 15-year-olds. However, there’s uncertainty about whether they’ll seek a court injunction to stop the age restriction from going into effect on December 10 before the case is considered in court.
Recently, Meta began notifying numerous Australian children believed to be under 16, advising them to download their data and delete their accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads prior to the ban.
The Australian government insists that Meta, along with Snapchat, TikTok, X, and YouTube, must take appropriate measures to exclude under-16 users or risk facing fines that could reach up to 50 million Australian dollars (about $32 million).
A similar initiative is underway in Malaysia, which plans to bar social media accounts for children below 16, starting in 2026. Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil noted that the Cabinet had approved this step as part of a broader strategy to protect youth from online dangers such as cyberbullying and exploitation. He mentioned that the government is looking into age verification methods, possibly using identification documents to confirm users’ ages.
