Teen activists say social media ban hinders political engagement

Young Australians say a ban on young people’s social media threatens their already limited opportunities to participate in politics and community activism.

When the government’s minimum age bill for social media passed parliament last year, Abbie Jane, then 15, suspected it would make life harder for people like her.

In 2022, Jane launched the Rainbow Shoelace Project to combat homophobia and show support for the LGBTQIA+ community from her home in Broken Hill in western New South Wales.

It has since grown into a global movement, distributing hundreds of thousands of rainbow beads to people to support the cause.