Australian government concedes no scientific consensus on social media harms for teenagers – but ‘credible risks’ justify ban
The Australian government is defending its under-16s social media ban in the high court, admitting there is no scientific consensus on the harms but citing 'credible risks' to justify the policy. The government also suggested that upcoming digital duty of care legislation could achieve similar protective outcomes.
Why it matters
This case highlights the tension between government regulation of digital platforms and the lack of definitive scientific evidence regarding social media's impact on adolescent mental health.
The Australian government says the under-16s social media ban has produced ‘substantial practical action’, pointing to nearly 5m accounts being removed in December. The Australian government says the under-16s social media ban has produced ‘substantial practical action’, pointing to nearly 5m accounts being removed in December. Social media ban Australian government concedes no scientific consensus on social media harms for teenagers – but ‘credible risks’ justify ban Commonwealth tells high court its proposed laws to let users opt out of algorithms would ultimately have the same effect as the ban
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