Canberra defended its unprecedented youth digital restrictions in the High Court against a joint challenge from Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project. The plaintiffs argue the mandate breaches the implied constitutional freedom of political communication, but government attorneys insisted the impact on expression is modest compared to the urgent need to address youth mental health harms. Although officials noted that five million accounts were shut down by July, they acknowledged that minors are still managing to bypass verification tools. Tech companies that fail to implement reasonable removal measures face penalties climbing as high as 49.5 million Australian dollars ($34.7 million).
Key points
The High Court adjourned after a two-day hearing and plans to announce its definitive rul…: The High Court adjourned after a two-day hearing and plans to announce its definitive ruling in the coming months.
Australian officials admitted that many minors continue to circumvent the age-verificatio…: Australian officials admitted that many minors continue to circumvent the age-verification systems deployed across prohibited platforms.
A judicial defeat for Canberra could disrupt plans by other nations, including France and…: A judicial defeat for Canberra could disrupt plans by other nations, including France and the United Kingdom, to implement matching restrictions.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Government lawyers argued that social media use posed several risks to children, including depression and anxiety.
The Australian government has defended its ban on social media use by children under the age of 16 in court, as it faces a legal challenge that could have global implications.
Government lawyers argued on Wednesday that social media use posed several risks to children, including depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. They described the ban as “modest in extent” and argued that restrictions on freedom of political expression were “indirect”.
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The case has been brought by US social media platform Reddit and Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project. They argue that the measure is disproportionate and infringes the implied freedom of political communication under the Australian Constitution.
The country’s highest court adjourned on Wednesday…
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