SYDNEY, Nov 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - An internet rights group said Wednesday it had launched a legal challenge to halt Australian laws that will soon ban under-16s from social media.

From December 10, Australia will force the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove all users under the age of 16 or face hefty fines.

The Digital Freedom Project said it had challenged these laws in Australia's High Court, arguing they were an "unfair" assault on freedom of speech.

"This ban is a direct assault on young people's right to freedom of political communication" the Digital Freedom Project said in a statement.

The group said it filed the legal case along with two 15-year-olds to represent millions of young Australians who would lose their access to the "modern town square".

"We are the true digital natives and we want to remain educated, robust, and savvy in our digital world," said one of those plaintiffs, Noah Jones.

"We're disappointed in a lazy government that blanket bans under-16s rather than investing in programs to help kids be safe on social media."

There is keen interest in whether Australia's sweeping restrictions can work as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.