Arabic version: أستراليا تدافع عن حظر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي لمن هم دون 16 عاماً

According to The Guardian, the Australian government has acknowledged that there is no scientific consensus on a causal link between social media use and particular mental-health harms for teenagers, while arguing that credible risks justify its under-16s social media ban.

In a defence filed in the high court on Friday, the government said agreed facts identified significant credible risks including addictive behaviours, disrupted sleep, and worsening depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviours or ideation. Its submission said uncertainty about causation should not delay action to protect young people, describing the measure as precautionary protection before scientific consensus establishes effectiveness.

US-based platform Reddit is challenging the ban in one of two cases expected to be heard jointly before the end of 2026. Reddit has argued that the policy burdens the implied freedom of political communications and does not address harm. It cited excluded platforms, design features available without accounts, and reports that some children under 16 retained or created accounts after the ban took effect in December.

The government also responded to Reddit’s argument that proposed digital duty of care legislation could address harmful content directly. It said users could be allowed to opt out of features such as algorithms, but that proper application of the proposal would require the same practical outcome for under-16s: preventing them from having accounts or providing accounts without the targeted features.

The government said the ban had already produced substantial practical action, with nearly 5m accounts removed in December. It said Reddit suspended 43,962 accounts between December and March. The government has since increased the eSafety commissioner’s powers and doubled potential non-compliance fines to nearly $100m. NetChoice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are also seeking to be heard in the case.