Australia’s unprecedented social media ban for children is being challenged in the country’s highest court, with two teens claiming the rule violates their fundamental right to free communication. From December 10, social media companies, including Meta, TikTok, and YouTube, must ensure that Australians under the age of 16 cannot create accounts on their services.
The rule, which is closely followed around the world, was defended by campaigners and the government as vital to safeguard minors from harmful content and algorithms. However, 15-year-olds Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, backed by a rights group, will argue that the restriction completely violates children’s rights.
“We should not be silenced.” “It’s like Orwell’s 1984, which scares me,” Macy Neyland said in a statement. After word of the case leaked, Communications Minister Anika Wells told parliament that the government would not be persuaded. “We will not be intimidated by threats.” We will not be intimidated by legal challenges. We won’t be intimidated by huge technology. “On behalf of Australian parents, we will stand firm,” she stated.
Teenagers rely on social media for knowledge and connection, and a ban might disproportionately affect the nation’s most vulnerable children, including young people with disabilities, First Nations youth, rural and isolated children, and LGBTIQ+ teenagers, according to the group’s website.
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