Australia to Enforce Social Media Ban for Children Amid Court Challenge

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00:00Australia to enforce social media ban for children amid court challenge

00:04Australia is moving ahead with a new law that will ban children under 16 from using major

00:09social media platforms, even as a legal challenge attempts to stop it. The legislation, set to take

00:15effect on December 10, will prohibit minors from holding accounts on Facebook, Instagram,

00:20Threads, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube. Despite a high court case filed by the Sydney-based

00:26Digital Freedom Project, the government has made it clear the ban will proceed.

00:31Communications Minister Anika Wells addressed Parliament, stating that the government would

00:35not be pressured by lawsuits or by large tech companies, emphasizing that the move is meant

00:40to support Australian parents and protect children online. The Digital Freedom Project,

00:46led by New South Wales lawmaker John Ruddick, argues that the law overreaches and undermines

00:51young people's freedoms. Ruddick insists that supervising children's online activity should

00:57remain the responsibility of parents, not the government. He also claims the ban restricts

01:03young people's right to political communication, a key part of the legal challenge. The case is being

01:09handled by the Sydney law firm Pryor, Zanis and Wallace solicitors, representing two 15-year-olds.

01:15It is still unknown whether the group will request an injunction to delay the ban before it becomes

01:20active. In preparation, Meta has begun notifying thousands of users it believes are under 16 to

01:26download their data and delete their accounts. The Australian government warned that platforms

01:31failing to comply could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars. Other countries are

01:37watching closely. Malaysia recently announced plans for a similar ban starting in 2026, citing concerns

01:44such as cyberbullying, scams and online exploitation. Malaysian authorities are studying Australia's

01:50verification methods, which may include ID or passport checks. Australia's December 10 deadline marks a

01:57major moment in the global debate over children's digital safety and the role of governments in

02:01regulating online platforms.