Australia's under 16 social media ban is beginning to impact free internet use in Australia. Will these laws discriminate against the rights of men to talk about men's rights issues on affected social media?

Australia's under 16 years social media ban will be censoring free internet use in Australia from December 2025.

And from what we know of the targeting of social media like X, YouTube, Facebook, etc, and issuing of exemptions to left wing social media like BlueSky, as well as the feminist heavy staffing of the government departments administering and policing the social media under 16s ban, its very likely that men's rights activists (the so called manosphere) will undoubtedly be in the cross hairs of punitive action and threats.

Given these laws provide no clear definitions of what is or is not a reasonable attempt to identify users under 16 years, most social media companies will be forced into a conservative approach, cancelling unverified accounts to avoid the risk of $millions in fines. In addition, social media companies will also cancel specific accounts on request of the Australian eSafety Commissioner.

Social media companies may already be limiting the use of their media by men's rights activists under the age of 16 years, or those who's age and identity have not been verified. We don't know as there is no right to appeal these cancelations, and no reporting.

In fact, the Australian Human Rights Commission, a notoriously left wing anti-male protector of human rights, has said this about the under 16s social media ban;

"Based on the information currently available, the Australian Human Rights Commission has serious reservations about the proposed social media ban for children under 16 years of age.

Right to Freedom of Expression and Access to Information Social media is a vital platform for young people to share their ideas and opinions, engage in dialogue, and participate in social and cultural activities. A blanket ban risks unjustly curtailing these freedoms.

Inclusion and Participation Excluding young people from social media platforms may isolate them from their peers and limit their ability to ability to access much-needed information and support. This is particularly important for young people from marginalised, vulnerable or remote communities.

Privacy Risks for Every Australian The social media ban will rely on effective age assurance processes being adopted, which means that all Australians may be required to prove their identity in order to access social media, which poses a risk to our privacy rights in light of recent examples of data breaches and personal information being stolen.

A Blanket Ban will not be Effective Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban. Additionally, a ban will not address the root causes of online risks or make the platforms safer for everyone.

So please be watchful. If a contributor you know suddenly dissappears from this thread, follow them up. The impact of isolation on the risk of self harm and suicide is well known, and has not been adequately considered by the architects of this draconian speech laws.