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3h ago

Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Faces High Court Challenge as EU Parliament Backs Minimum-Age Rules

The parallel moves increase pressure on major platforms to deploy privacy-preserving age verification.

Ein Kind schaut auf ein Smartphone.
Close up of young college students hands holding mobile phones. Teenagers addicted to smartphones and technology. Group of friends sharing content on social media. Technology concept.
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Overview

  • Australia’s law is due to take effect on December 10, with platforms gathering age proofs and preparing to suspend accounts of users under 16.
  • A High Court case filed in Canberra by NSW MP John Ruddick’s Digital Freedom Project names two 15-year-olds, Macy and Noah, and argues the ban violates young people’s freedom of political communication.
  • The Australian rules cover TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit, while services like WhatsApp, Messenger and gaming platforms such as Roblox are exempt, and noncompliant companies face large fines.
  • The European Parliament voted to seek a bloc-wide bar on use under 13 and to require parental consent for ages 13 to 16, extending to social and video platforms and AI ‘companions.’
  • MEPs urged privacy-aware age checks, restrictions on addictive design and gambling-like features, and swift expert recommendations, with Greece piloting a ‘Kids Wallet’ app and Denmark, Spain, Italy and Belgium preparing national versions.