Australian teen challenging social media ban says internet will be less safe

A teenager suing the Australian government to overturn a ban on social media for under-16s says the measure would make the internet more dangerous for young people and be widely circumvented.

Noah Jones, 15, is a co-plaintiff in a High Court case against Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

The law, due to take effect on December 10, would block minors from platforms such as Meta's META.O Instagram, TikTok and Snap's SNAP.N Snapchat. The government says the ban will protect children from harmful content and online predators.

Jones argues the policy will isolate teens and push them into riskier behaviour.

"We should be cutting off the bad things about social media," he told Reuters from his home in Sydney. "When kids do things in secret, that's when things can be really harmful."

Jones said social media is essential for staying connected and sharing ideas, likening it to a modern-day town square.

"I have almost all the people in my year on Snapchat. It's a light way of being connected. Most people will get quite separated," he said.

Jones warned the ban would create a "social divide" between those who evade restrictions and those who do not. "I most likely will get around the ban. I know a lot of my mates will," he said.

Jones said parents, not the government, should decide how children use social media.

The Communications Minister and eSafety Commissioner were not immediately available for comment. Wells has said the government stands by the law regardless of any legal challenges.

The lawsuit, which includes another 15-year-old student, argues the ban infringes constitutional rights and should be replaced with targeted measures against cyberbullying and predatory behaviour. It is backed by an advocacy group run by a Libertarian Party member of the New South Wales state parliament.

The case has yet to be scheduled for hearing.