Australia’s Draconian Social Media Age Ban Exposes Global Overreach Threatening Free Speech

In a sharp pivot from its earlier stance, the Australian government has decreed that social media giants including YouTube must bar account holders under the age of 16. Effective December, this radical policy won’t just affect local users—it signals a disturbing trend of state-mandated digital censorship that threatens online freedom worldwide.Previously exempted from Australia’s sweeping laws barring young teens from major social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, YouTube now faces hefty fines—up to $33 million—for failing to enforce these restrictive age limits. Communications Minister Anika Wells boldly declared that legal threats from Alphabet Inc., YouTube's U.S. parent company, will...