Australia's High Court is scheduled to begin two days of hearings on Tuesday regarding a constitutional challenge to the nation's world-leading social media ban for children under 16.
The landmark policy, which took effect last December, requires ten major platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit—to take reasonable steps to prevent users under 16 from accessing their services. Non-compliant platforms face potential fines of up to A$99 million.
The legal opposition is being led by the Digital Freedom Project, spearheaded by New South Wales parliamentarian John Ruddick, alongside a separate challenge filed by Reddit. Critics argue that the blanket restriction infringes upon children's rights to free communication and carries serious implications for privacy and political rights. While teenage plaintiffs originally associated with the case have since withdrawn, the Digital Freedom Project maintains that the ban is an overly blunt instrument and that resources should instead target online predators and harmful content.
Supporters of the legislation, including Australian government officials, maintain that the policy is a necessary step to protect minors from online harm and have defended the measure against legal pushback.
