Australian Teenagers Sue The Prohibition Of Social Media To The Supreme Court, Call Violating Communication Rights

Minister of Communications Anika Wells (photo: x @AnikaWells)

JAKARTA - Two Australian teenagers officially filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court in the country over a new law prohibiting children under 16 from having social media accounts. They considered the rule unconstitutional for seizing their right to communicate freely.

Starting December 10, 2025, platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and YouTube are required to ensure users under the age of 16 cannot create or use an account.

The government and policy advocates claim the ban is necessary to protect children from harmful content and the impact of the algorithm. However, two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Nepeland, backed by the advocacy group Digital Freedom Project (DFP), stated the rule ignored children's rights.

"We shouldn't be silenced. It's like Orwell's 1984 book, and it's scary," Macy Neloy said in his official statement.

Responding to the lawsuit, Communications Minister Anika Wells stressed in parliament that the government will not falter. "We will not be intimidated by threats, by lawsuits, or by big tech. For the sake of Australian parents, we will remain firm," said Wells.

In his statement, DFP explained that the lawsuit was filed on Wednesday, November 26. They assessed that the ban on total social media accounts could actually harm the group of children most vulnerable, including people with disabilities, teenagers from First Nations, children in remote areas, and LGBTIQ+ teenagers.

The lawsuit focuses on the impact of the rule on political communication and whether the total ban is truly proportional to the goal of child protection.

DFP argues there are other more appropriate ways to improve online security, such as:

digital literacy program,

child-friendly feature obligations,

a more privacy-preserving age-verification technology.

Noah Jones called government policy a non-serious approach. "We are the original digital generation. We want to stay smart and resilient in the digital world. Protect us with security, not silence us," Noah said.

Australian media previously reported that Google's YouTube owner is also considering taking legal challenges against the rule.

Despite being rejected by tech companies, polls show most Australian adults support the ban. But a number of psychologists warn that a total ban can:

isolating children from social connections,

Pushing them towards a more difficult-to-see dark platform.