Australia will press ahead with its landmark ban on social-media accounts for children under 16 on December 10, despite a constitutional challenge brought by a digital rights group and two 15-year-olds seeking to block the law.

The legislation — passed in late 2024 as the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 — obliges platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Reddit, and others to deactivate or block accounts for minors under 16, or face fines of up to A$50 million.

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The challenge was filed in the Digital Freedom Project, which argues the ban violates an implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication.

The plaintiffs, two 15-year-olds, contend the restrictions effectively silence a generation of young Australians who wish to engage in public discourse.

“We are the true digital natives,” one said, warning that blanket age bans drown out youth voices rather than safeguard them.

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Government officials, including Anika Wells, the Minister for Communications, have reiterated their determination to implement the law on schedule.

In Parliament the minister affirmed that regulators and courts will not deter the government from acting “on behalf of Australian parents.” Platforms will be held responsible for enforcing the age limit; neither minors nor their families face penalties.

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Social-media companies have begun preparing.

Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, Threads) plans to start blocking registrations and deactivating accounts for users under 16 from December 4, so they comply by the December 10 deadline.

Existing teen users have been notified and given the option to download their data or delete their accounts; they may re-activate services once they turn 16. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Some platforms are adopting new age-verification tools to comply with the law while trying to respect privacy.

For example, Snapchat has said it will use a bank-linked verification tool and other age-estimation methods for Australian users.

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Critics of the ban — including those involved in the court challenge — argue that the legislation is overly broad and poses a threat to young people’s right to engage in civic and political discussion.

They also warn it could drive teenagers to unregulated or unsafe digital spaces.

Supporters, including the government, argue the measure is a necessary protection against pervasive online harms and exploitation, and that young people’s safety outweighs the risks to their online freedoms.

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