Australia’s Top Court Takes up Challenge to Youth Social Media Ban
WHO:
ABC News - Australia’s seven High Court judges began hearing two constitutional challenges to the social media ban.
ABC News - Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project brought the first challenge.
ABC News - Reddit brought the second challenge, arguing that it should not have been grouped with other banned platforms.
ABC News - The Digital Freedom Project case initially included Sydney teenagers Noah Jones and Macy Neyland as plaintiffs. They were removed over concerns they could be held liable for legal costs if the case failed.
ABC News - Noah Jones, now 16 and no longer subject to the ban, called the law “a stepping stone further and further to censorship” and said it was “really just them trying to slowly gain more and more control of what young people see as they will be voters.”
ABC News - Noah’s mother, Renee Jones, said she was “fiercely afraid” of social media’s problems for young people, but that the law missed the mark. She said it could leave young people ignorant about safe online interaction and its dangers.
ABC News - Communications Minister Anika Wells attended court and said the government was defending Australians’ and children’s right “to be free from harm” against a “sustained ideological attack.”
BBC News - A rights group is challenging the policy, arguing it deprives under-16s of their right to free communication.
TechRadar - Reddit is challenging Australia’s ban and seeking to overturn it in court.
WHAT:
ABC News - The law prohibits children younger than 16 from holding accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Kick, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube and Twitch.
ABC News - The 10 targeted platforms can face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34.5 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove underage accounts.
ABC News - A British Medical Journal study found that 85% of a group of Australian 12- to 17-year-olds continued using restricted platforms.
ABC News - Government research found that 7 in 10 underage children continued to have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.
BBC News - The rights group says the ban violates under-16s’ right to free communication.
TechRadar - Reddit describes the ban as “inept.”
WHERE:
ABC News - The challenges were heard by Australia’s High Court in Melbourne.
ABC News - The Digital Freedom Project is based in Sydney; Jones and Neyland were identified as Sydney teenagers.
WHEN:
ABC News - The ban took effect last year. The hearing was scheduled to last two days and end Wednesday.
ABC News - The government announced in June that it was considering strengthening the law after evidence showed children continued using social media.
ABC News - The study was published in June; government research was released in March.
BBC News - The High Court challenge was set to start, with no specific calendar date given.
WHY:
ABC News - Digital Freedom Project argues the law improperly removes millions of young Australians’ implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication.
ABC News - Reddit says the ban raises privacy and political-expression issues.
ABC News - Renee Jones said the ban could prevent young people from learning how to navigate social media safely and recognize online dangers.
HOW:
ABC News - The challenges are proceeding as constitutional cases before the High Court.
ABC News - The law requires platforms to take reasonable steps to remove accounts held by children younger than 16.
(UPDATED November 3, 2026 14:05 UTC)
Australia’s High Court is hearing challenges to a ban on under-16s’ social media accounts. A rights group argues the law restricts political communication, while Reddit challenges its inclusion. The government says the ban protects children, but research found many still use restricted platforms.