Elon Musk's X has called for a delay in Australia's under-16 social media ban, raising 'serious concerns' about the lawfulness of the 'punitive' policy. In a submission to a Greens-led inquiry on age verification, the platform argued that compliance obligations should commence at least six months after the release of regulatory guidelines, with a grace period.
X's submission stated that less than 1% of its Australian users are under 16, but it expressed concerns about the ban's compatibility with international human rights treaties, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The company warned that the ban could infringe on children's rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
The platform argued that age assurance is a disproportionate response, with no evidence that banning young people from social media would reduce harms. It warned that minors might migrate to unregulated alternatives, exposing them to greater risks, and that children could evade the ban using virtual private networks.
X also criticised the government for failing to define which platforms the ban applies to, calling it a 'significant risk of regulatory weaponisation'. It proposed implementing age assurance at the smartphone level, a stance also taken by Meta. The eSafety commissioner has indicated she will not immediately enforce the ban from 10 December but will look for 'systemic failures' thereafter.
