George Christensen on the Social Media Ban Act, By James Reed

George Christensen over at Nation First is in no doubt that the Coalition betrayed Australia by joining with Labor to pass this Bill. George is of no doubt that it was a deceptive "motherhood" Bill, that was never about "protecting the children," for the Labor Party is doing nothing to protect Australian children from hunger from the cost-of-living crisis it created by mass immigration. It is about social control, and fits in the present agenda of on-line censorship. George details how to fight back, which will involve better informing the public of the dangers of this Act, and intense lobbying of the Coalition.

https://nationfirst.substack.com/p/the-social-media-ban-that-just-stole

They Passed It, and They Betrayed You

Let's start with the facts. This week, the Social Media Minimum Age Bill was rammed through Parliament. This law will ban Australians under 16 from using social media. Sounds harmless, doesn't it? Think again. Because this isn't just about kids—it's about every single one of us.

Do you know who voted for this? Both Labor and the Liberal National Coalition. That's right—this wasn't some one-party disaster. This was a bipartisan betrayal of your rights. Here are the senators who sold you out: (from the Liberal National Coalition) Wendy Askew, Simon Birmingham, Michaelia Cash, Claire Chandler, Jonathon Duniam, David Fawcett, Sarah Henderson, Jane Hume, Maria Kovacic, James McGrath, Bridget McKenzie, Matthew O'Sullivan, James Paterson, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Anne Ruston, Paul Scarr, Dean Smith, Dave Sharma, (and from Labor) Tim Ayres, Raff Ciccone, Lisa Darmanin, Katy Gallagher, Varun Ghosh, Nita Green, Katie Grogan, Jenny McAllister, Deborah O'Neill, Helen Polley, Louise Pratt, Tony Sheldon, Glenn Sterle, Anne Urquhart, Jess Walsh, and Murray Watt.

These are the people who handed unprecedented power to an unelected bureaucrat. They didn't even stop to think about the consequences for you or your family.

Opposition came from a diverse group of senators. One Nation's Malcolm Roberts, United Australia Party's Ralph Babet, Liberal Alex Antic, and the Nationals' Matt Canavan voted against the bill. The Australian Greens senators—Dorinda Cox, Mehreen Faruqi, Sarah Hanson-Young, Janet Hodgins-May, Nick McKim, Barbara Pocock, David Shoebridge, Jordan Steele-John, Larissa Waters, Peter Whish-Wilson, and Penny Allman-Payne—also opposed it. Other crossbenchers opposing the bill include Jacqui Lambie, Fatima Payman, Gerard Rennick, and Lidia Thorpe.

And standing particularly tall were two aforementioned brave senators who defied their own parties: Matt Canavan from the Nationals and Alex Antic from the Liberals. These men continually risk their careers to vote against bills like this. And again they stood up for your privacy and freedom while everyone else fell in line. They deserve your thanks. The rest of the Liberal National Coalition deserve your scorn on this one.

And to think that just days ago, they did us all a favour by helping destroy the Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill. Talk about two steps forward and one step back!

A Human Rights Disaster

Now, let's talk about what this bill really is: a human rights disaster. Even the Australian Human Rights Commission (HRC) warned that this law violates our international commitments. That's right—Australia is breaking its own promises to uphold the rights of its citizens. And Parliament didn't care.

The HRC pointed out several alarming things:

• This law crushes the freedom of expression and access to information.
• It puts your privacy at risk by forcing platforms to collect sensitive data like ID or even biometrics.
• It ignores the rights of children to have their voices heard and participate in decisions that affect them.

The HRC didn't mince words: a blanket ban like this is unnecessary, disproportionate, and dangerous. But guess what? Labor and Liberal National Coalition politicians ignored them. They ignored you. They ignored Australia's commitments to human rights treaties like the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Why? Because they don't work for you anymore. They work for another agenda.

Julie Inman Grant: The Internet Czar You Didn't Elect

Let's talk about the person who now has more control over your internet than you do: Julie Inman Grant. She is Australia's eSafety Commissioner, and this law gives her unprecedented power. She decides what "reasonable steps" platforms must take to stop kids under 16 from signing up. What does that mean? It means she can demand:

• Government ID checks for every user.
• Biometric scans, like facial recognition.
• Algorithmic profiling to track your behaviour and decide if you "look underage."

But that's not even the worst part. Do you know who Inman Grant really is? She's a former Big Tech insider who worked for Microsoft and Twitter, which is now X. Oh, and she once admitted to being recruited by the CIA. That's right. The person now running the show in Australia has a link to the most powerful surveillance state on Earth.

Independent journalist Michael Shellenberger, one of the few voices brave enough to call this out, has exposed her global censorship agenda. Inman Grant helped create the Global Online Safety Regulators Network, a group working to censor the internet worldwide. At the World Economic Forum, she openly supported digital identity systems—the kind that destroy online anonymity and turn the internet into a surveillance tool.

This isn't about keeping kids safe. This is about giving governments and corporations total control over your online life. And Julie Inman Grant is leading the charge.

How This Affects You

You might think, "I'm not under 16, so why should I care?" Here's why: this law doesn't stop with kids. It affects you. It affects me. It affects everyone who uses the internet.

To enforce this law, platforms will have to verify everyone's age. That means handing over your ID, scanning your face, or undermining your privacy some other way. And if they know who you are then this is the beginning of letting them track everything you do online. Your privacy? Gone. Your anonymity? Gone. And don't think for a second that this data will be safe. We've all seen what happens with data breaches. Do you trust Big Tech with your face, your ID, or your personal life? I don't.

How You and I Fight Back

This law is coming in 2026, which means you and I still have time to act. But we need to start now. Here's what we do:

1. Protect Yourself with a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is your best weapon against this madness. VPNs can:

• Hide your location, so the government can't track you.
• Keep you anonymous, so no one knows who you are online.
• Bypass restrictions, so you can use the internet freely.

If you're not using a VPN yet, now's the time.

2. Spread the Word

You and I need to make sure everyone knows what's happening. Share this article. Talk to your friends. Let's wake people up before it's too late.

The Bottom Line

This isn't any old law. It's part of the roadmap that's being pieced together by the Australian Government to undermine your privacy, to undermine your freedom, and to monitor and control what you do and say online. Labor and (most of the) Liberal National Coalition politicians just sold you out. They handed your rights to an unelected bureaucrat with a history that should make you question everything.

But you and I don't have to take this lying down. We can fight back. We can protect our privacy. We can keep our freedom.

The fight starts now. Will you stand with me?"