Australian politician calls country ‘guinea pig’ for censorship amid world-first social media ban

Key Highlights

• "Australia has become an international guinea pig for the people who want internet censorship," said Hon.
• John Ruddick, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. More than 200,000 accounts were deactivated Wednesday after Australia’s Online Safety Amendment went into effect.
• "It's massive," he explained.
• "It's the only thing the country's talking about." AUSTRALIA IMPLEMENTS FIRST-EVER YOUTH SOCIAL MEDIA BAN A 13-year-old boy displays a message on his mobile phone from social media platform Snapchat after his account was locked for age verification in Sydney on December 9, 2025.
• (Photo by ) The 10 social media giants included in the ban are Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat, Kick, Reddit, Threads, Twitch and YouTube.