Australian government concedes no scientific consensus on social media harms for teenagers – but ‘credible risks’ justify ban

The Australian government says the under-16s social media ban has produced ‘substantial practical action’, pointing to nearly 5m accounts being removed in December. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

The Australian government has conceded it implemented the “world-leading” under-16s social media ban before there was scientific consensus on the link between mental health harms and social media use, but argued the “credible risks” of issues such as addictive behaviours and anxiety justify the policy.

In its defence against a high court challenge of the ban, the government has also argued its proposed digital duty of care legislation, allowing users to opt out of social media features such as algorithms, would ultimately have the same effect as the ban, if implemented.