Grassroots First Nations organisation flags concern for at-risk youth under social media ban

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia's landmark social media ban is about protecting the wellbeing of children.

But when ABC News attended a drop-in youth centre working with some of the country's most vulnerable children and teenagers, we uncovered just how complex regulating online safety can be.

Aunties Place, just outside Darwin, is a haven for First Nations kids and teens who are homeless, don't feel safe at home or are at risk of disengaging from education and employment.

The hub offers food, air con, workshops and activities.

Here's what people at Aunties Place think about the ban.

The teen

At the age of 14, Israel "Issy" Shadforth was headed down a bad path.

After stealing from a service station with some friends, Issy went to Aunties Place, where staff encouraged him to turn himself in.

Aunties Place helped him reckon with the consequences of his actions, helping Issy write an apology to the service station, getting him to compensate for what he stole and supporting him as he went through the justice system.

Issy processed the experience with a track he made at a rap workshop, working with his role model, rising rap star Levi Nichaloff, aka Yung Milla.

"That's why I come [to Aunties Place], do some programs to learn about other stuff in life."

State and territory governments have long worried about children and teenagers filming their crimes and posting them on social media platforms for clout.

Last year, the Northern Territory joined Queensland and New South Wales in outlawing the act of boasting about crimes on social media.

But Issy said so-called "crimfluencers" don't impact his decisions.

Issy isn't concerned about the possibility of being kicked off social media all together.

But he believes the ban will be good for his younger siblings.

"They don't have to be on social media all the time … because they always say the same stuff every day," he said.

The centre

Kat Lee, who manages Aunties Place, knows social media presents risks for children.

But Ms Lee said she worried the ban would create safety issues by making it harder for services to connect with teenagers, particularly those already at risk of falling through the cracks.

Her team uses Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with teens and raise awareness about the centre.

"A lot of them don't have consistent phones or phone numbers, so they can contact us through social media," she said.

Although private messaging social media apps such as Facebook Messenger are currently exempt from the ban, other popular youth platforms with multiple uses — such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook — are included.

Ms Lee said many of the children she worked with hadn't realised they would need to prove their age to access those platforms, until the ban kicked in this week.

Other marginalised groups, such as LGBTQIA+ and regional youth, have expressed concerns the ban could cut them off from community.

Next year, the High Court of Australia will hear from two teenagers — backed by advocacy group the Digital Freedom Project — in a challenge to the ban.

But the Commonwealth government argues it engaged extensively with children and teenagers, including those from First Nations backgrounds, in developing its policy.

"But also parents and carers, the digital industry, community organisations, civil society groups, and experts in child development, mental health and law."

The federal government also produced ads specifically targeted at First Nations teenagers and families, as part of a $20 million campaign.

The mentor

Although it may affect his own following online, rapper Yung Milla believes the social media ban's benefits outweigh the concerns.

"There's a lot of things on there that kids shouldn't be seeing," he said.

Yung Milla and his brother J-Milla have built dedicated online fanbases across regional and remote Australia, where they are known for performing and working with youth on engagement projects.

"What they see on social media isn't fully me, that's more Yung Milla," the musician said.