Shares in social media giant Meta (META) edged lower today despite two Australian teenagers going to court to stop an “Orwellian” ban of its services.
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Warnings of 1984
As of December 10, social media firms including Meta, TikTok, Alphabet’s (GOOGL) YouTube and Snap (SNAP), must ensure that Australians aged under 16 can’t hold accounts on their platforms.
However, two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, are challenging this ruling alleging it is unconstitutional because it disregards children’s right to free communication.
“We shouldn’t be silenced. It’s like Orwell’s book 1984, and that scares me,” Neyland said in a statement reported by the BBC.
The teenagers are part of the Digital Freedom Project (DFP), which filed the case in the Australian High Court today.
“Teenagers rely on social media for information and association, and a ban could hurt the nation’s most vulnerable kids – young people with disability, First Nations youth, rural and remote kids and LGBTIQ+ teenagers – the most,” the group said on its website.
Other measures to improve online safety should be used instead, the group argued, pointing to digital literacy programs, the forced introduction of age-appropriate features for platforms, and age assurance technologies that have greater privacy protections.
Government Won’t Back Down
However, Communications Minister Anika Wells – not, it is understood, from the Ministry of Truth – told parliament the government would not back down.
“We will not be intimidated by threats. We will not be intimidated by legal challenges. We will not be intimidated by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we will stand firm,” she said.
Earlier this month the photo and video messaging app, Snapchat, announced plans to enforce Australia’s ban on use of the platform by teenagers under the age of 16.
According to Snap, starting from December 10, users under the age limit will have their accounts locked and deactivated three years later. The social media company is also offering users the option to verify their age through their Australian bank account, government-issued ID cards such as passports and driver’s licenses, or facial age estimation.
Meta has also started to notify users between the ages of 13 and 15 in the country of plans to deactivate their accounts starting from December 4.
This case matters, not just on the impact on Asia Pacific revenues – see above – but whether it will set a precedent for other global governments worried about young people’s use of social media.
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