Big Tech's Sabotage Threat: Inside the Battle Over Australia's Social Media Ban

The Tension Escalates

Michael “Wippa” Wipfli, co-founder of the advocacy group that successfully pushed to raise the minimum age for social media use in Australia, is sounding the alarm. With the new law set to take effect, he fears deliberate sabotage from social media platforms.

"The social media platforms are not going to like it. They’re not happy with it. And some of their antics in the past, and the lead-up to where we’re at now, have been fairly typical of deliberate sabotage," Wipfli warned.

He believes their goal is to "make this the biggest mess possible. Embarrass the government, make it a mess and try and contain it to Australia only, knowing the rest of the world is watching on."

The Legal Landscape

The new legislation places the entire onus on social media platforms, threatening fines of up to $49.5 million for systemic breaches. While Wipfli didn't provide specific examples of how platforms might obstruct the ban, he revealed they've privately described the law as a "contagion risk" – fearing it could spread to other countries.

"There’s absolute confusion on some topics, and I think that’s exactly how big tech would like it to be," he observed.

Constitutional Challenges Emerge

A group called the Digital Freedom Project has launched a challenge in the High Court of Australia, arguing the ban is unconstitutional because it unfairly restricts teens' rights to freedom of political expression. Wipfli expressed deep suspicion about their motives, though the group claims it has "not received any funding from any social media companies or associated groups."

Maintaining Independence

Wipfli's group, 36 Months, has deliberately stepped back over the past six months to allow the government and eSafety Commissioner to work out implementation details. They've also avoided government-endorsed advertising campaigns to maintain their independence.

"Our values and independence is worth more to us than whatever the government might suggest. We want to be able to say that, no, we’re not receiving money from the government," Wipfli emphasized.

The Human Impact

Despite the political and legal battles, Wipfli remains focused on the original mission. "Through all of the muddiness that might be between now and December 10, we have to go back to why we started this. There’s going to be some casualties in it. There’s going to be kids that are annoyed. There’s going to be some parents that are angry by it," he acknowledged.

"But like any large movement, it can’t be a blanket understanding by all. It’s going to take time to reshape it and understand the behaviours. But we have to start somewhere."