Story perspectives

Australia Defends Under-16 Social Media Ban in High Court

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 12:12 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Australian government defended its under-16 social media ban before the High Court, citing credible youth risks.
Reddit filed a High Court challenge, arguing the ban burdens implied political communication freedom and lacks scientific consensus on harms.
Government said addiction, sleep disruption, depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior pose significant risks to under-16s.
Digital duty-of-care law would require platforms to disable targeted features for users under 16.
Australia removed nearly 5 million under-16 accounts in December and doubled eSafety commissioner fines to almost $100 million.

1 of 1

Story summary

Australian government defended its under-16 social media ban before the High Court, citing credible youth risks.
Reddit filed a High Court challenge, arguing the ban burdens implied political communication freedom and lacks scientific consensus on harms.
Government said addiction, sleep disruption, depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior pose significant risks to under-16s.
Digital duty-of-care law would require platforms to disable targeted features for users under 16.
Australia removed nearly 5 million under-16 accounts in December and doubled eSafety commissioner fines to almost $100 million.