# Australian government defends social media ban for under 16s in court

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/australian-government-defends-social-media-ban-for-under-16s-in-court/
- Published: 2026-11-04T08:26:50+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-06T03:49:54+00:00
- Original publisher: Al Jazeera (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/4/australian-government-defends-social-media-ban-for-under-16s-in-court?traffic_source=rss
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Australia’s highest court is considering a challenge to its under-16 social media ban.
- Reddit says the law is too broad and restricts political communication.
- Five million accounts have been closed, but some children still bypass age checks.

## Summary

Australia’s government has defended its ban on social media use by under-16s before the country’s highest court, arguing that it addresses risks to children’s mental health. The legal challenge could affect other countries considering similar restrictions, including France and the United Kingdom.

Reddit and rights group Digital Freedom Project say the law is disproportionate and limits constitutionally protected political communication. The ban covers 10 platforms, including Reddit, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, which can face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for failing to take reasonable steps to remove under-16s’ accounts. Government data says five million accounts have been closed since the ban began in December, though some children still bypass age checks; the court is expected to rule in the coming months.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.