Australian politician calls country ‘guinea pig’ for censorship amid world-first social media ban

A world-first social media ban took effect in Australia last week, restricting children younger than 16 from using platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. “Australia has become an international guinea pig for the people who want internet censorship,” said Hon. John Ruddick, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. More than 200,000 accounts were deactivated Wednesday after Australia’s Online Safety Amendment went into effect. “It’s massive,” he explained. “It’s the only thing the country’s talking about.” AUSTRALIA IMPLEMENTS FIRST-EVER YOUTH SOCIAL MEDIA BAN The 10 social media giants included in the ban are Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat, Kick, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and YouTube. By law, they are required to locate and deactivate accounts of Australian users under the age of 16.  “I have heard that every playground around Australia for months has been talking about censorship coming,” Ruddick told Fox News Digital. Children and parents won’t be penalized for violating the ban, but social media companies face fines of up to $33 million if they don’t take “reasonable steps” to remove underage users. Many Aussie children, Ruddick said, are already finding ways to skirt the sweeping ban. “They’re getting around it through fake IDs, opening new apps
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