Reddit has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit in the High Court to challenge Australia’s social media ban for individuals under 16 years old. The company, based in the U.S. with operations in Australia, asserts that the ban violates the implied freedom of political communication. The lawsuit names the Commonwealth of Australia and Communications Minister Anika Wells as defendants, with the Australian government prepared to defend the law against legal challenges.
Australia recently enforced the world’s first age restriction for accessing social media, requiring platforms like Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to prevent underage users from using their services or face potential fines. These platforms have implemented measures such as age inference and age estimation to comply with the regulation.
Reddit expressed concerns about the privacy and political expression implications of the law and announced its application to have the legislation reviewed. This legal action represents the second challenge to the ban in the High Court, following a previous challenge by two teenagers supported by an Australian libertarian lawmaker. Despite not joining other parties in challenging the ban, Reddit remains committed to contesting the law through its independent lawsuit.
