1. Legal Principle [ICCPR Article 19]
2. Non-Discrimination
3. Pro-Democracy

The mandatory minimum age for social media access infringes the right to freedom of expression and access to information guaranteed by international human rights law [Judgment].

By treating all individuals under 18 as incapable of responsible online participation, the 2024 Act imposes an unjustifiable age-based discrimination that conflicts with the Age Discrimination Act’s own principle of individual assessment.

Repealing these provisions restores parental and educational responsibility, promotes digital literacy by allowing supervised engagement, and strengthens civic inclusion—ensuring young people can exercise their rights to association and assembly in digital forums.

1. Utilitarian Ground Truth
2. Hobbesianism

Empirical research indicates that unsupervised social media use by minors correlates with increased risks of anxiety, depression and exposure to harmful content [Judgment].

The minimum-age requirement serves as a public safeguard, incentivising platforms to implement robust age verification and content moderation systems that protect vulnerable children from online harms.

Without these legal obligations, platforms may reduce investment in safety features, leaving parents and schools to bear the full burden of shielding minors—an outcome at odds with the state’s responsibility to maintain social order and protect its citizens.