High Court Challenge: Australia's Landmark Ban on Teen Social Media Use

Australia faces a constitutional challenge over its new law banning social media usage for children under 16. The Digital Freedom Project, representing two 15-year-olds, argues that this law infringes on political communication rights. The government defends the ban, citing social media's harmful impact on teens.

A legal storm is brewing in Australia as a historic ban on social media usage for children under 16 faces a constitutional challenge in the High Court. Initiated by the Digital Freedom Project, with plaintiffs being two 15-year-olds, the challenge comes mere weeks before the law's enactment.

The ban, affecting over a million teens' social media accounts across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, is critiqued for allegedly stripping away the implied right of political communication. Australia, lacking an explicit right to free speech, finds itself in a heated debate over this controversial legislation and its implications.

Undeterred by legal threats, the center-left government, under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, insists the ban protects young Australians from social media's detrimental effects. Governor Anika Wells reaffirmed the government's commitment to safeguarding teens from misinformation, bullying, and harmful imagery amid the ongoing judicial proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)