Legal challenge to Australia's social media ban to start in High Court
Australia's High Court is set to hear a legal challenge against the country's social media ban for children under 16. Digital rights groups and Reddit argue the policy is an overreach that infringes on privacy and free communication rights.
Why it matters
This case represents a global test case for how governments can regulate social media access for minors without violating constitutional rights.
Image source, Supplied: Digital Freedom Project By Lana Lam Sydney Published 2 hours ago Two days of hearings on a challenge to Australia's landmark social media ban for children will begin at the country's highest court on Tuesday.
In a major test of the world-leading policy, a digital rights group will argue that the ban for under-16s robs children of their right to free communication. A separate challenge launched by platform Reddit will be jointly heard.
Introduced last December, the ban is a key part of sweeping changes the Australian government has spearheaded in recent years on online safety.
Supporters say the ban protects children from harmful content but critics say it is too blunt an instrument and efforts should focus on improving online safety.
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