Australian Kids Charged for Extremism Online

0:00I'm Cory with the story, bringing you the latest from Sydney News today. Australian children, as young as 10, now face criminal charges for possessing extremist material, readily available online. In the past five years, nearly a dozen kids, some just 13 years old, have been arrested under these laws, meant to curb early signs of. Radicalization, federal rules took effect in 2023, while some states had similar ones since 2017. Many cases involve vulnerable teens with autism, like a 14-year-old girl whose family found Islamic state videos on her phone. Police seized her devices and charged her, though her case ended in family mediation. A 13-year-old boy in Adelaide and a 17-year-old in Canberra faced similar charges for collecting violent clips out of curiosity, not. Intent to harm. Experts and lawyers call the laws flawed, saying kids often do not grasp what counts as illegal extremism. Lines blur between gore sites, war footage, and propaganda, with millions of monthly views from young people.

1:05Critics worry arrests, snag naive youth, and scare parents from reporting issues. Police defend the charges as key for early intervention, noting no need to prove terror plans. After the Bondi attack last year, officials praised them for disrupting past violence. Yet 60% of federal cases since involved children, raising fears of overreach, ongoing reviews by federal police examine tactics with autistic kids following claims and undercover officer fueled one boy's fixation. Psychologists push for education over prosecution to avoid lifelong harm and better protect these young people. The Daily News Now is powered by our sponsor. Head in, sound on, lights out, that is the routine, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com.