00:01It's been nearly a year since the federal government introduced its world-first and
00:06controversial ban on social media for users under 16, and since then, around 5 million
00:13social media accounts have been blocked across 10 different platforms.
00:17And now that law is facing a contest by two different legal challenges.
00:22We have Reddit, the online social media platform, which is one of the 10 platforms caught up
00:28in the law, and we also have the libertarian advocacy group, the Digital Freedom Project.
00:34Now they're two separate legal challenges, but they've been joined together in a special
00:38case by the High Court, and at the heart of their argument is that this law breaches and
00:45disproportionately breaches the implied freedom of political communication in Australia.
00:51Essentially they say the government has gone too far in trying to regulate online spaces
00:56and social media.
00:57They say that there's a disconnect between the intent of the law and the reality in how
01:03it's actually played out.
01:04They also argue that some of the content the government says it's trying to protect children
01:09from is viewable even without an account, and they say that there are better alternatives
01:15the government should have considered rather than this blunt force.
01:18But the government says that it's trying to protect children from the risk of harm.
01:23They also argue that social media companies are profiting off children, and that the freedom
01:29of political communication that exists in Australia only applies to electors, that is people who
01:36are over 18 and can vote.
01:38So the High Court is being asked whether that freedom extends to children.
01:42The Minister for Communications is being sued by Reddit in their particular case as well.
01:49And Annika Wells actually turned up to the High Court today and was in court to hear the proceedings.
01:54And we are here to defend a fundamental tenet of Australian democracy, which is an Australian's
01:59right, and particularly an Australian child's right, to be free from harm.
02:03And we seek to defend that from sustained ideological attack.
02:07The State and Territory Attorneys-General have also sought leave to intervene in this case,
02:13and they have filed submissions in support of the Commonwealth.
02:17do everything, let's do it, let's do everything for everyone.
02:17Our teachers-General McLinẳ教ink, they are nowapatrible they are going to eat for people from
02:18And if we select the decentralized capital were not allowed, we need evidence from this area.
02:19We need to connect children with people and awareness or facts
