Reddit challenges Australia's under-16 social media ban: Calls it 'threat to free speech'

Reddit has launched a legal challenge in the High Court of Australia seeking to overturn the nation's new law banning social media access for users under the age of 16. The US-based company, which counts Australia as a significant market, filed the lawsuit just days after the landmark legislation came into effect, making Australia the first country in the world to enforce such an age minimum.

The core of Reddit's legal argument is that the law violates Australia’s constitutionally implied freedom of political communication. The company contends that restricting access for under-16s impedes their ability to engage in political discourse and develop informed views, thereby burdening the political communication relied upon by current and future electors, including parents and teachers.

The legislation, effective from 10th December, mandates that platforms such as Reddit, Meta’s Instagram, and TikTok must take "reasonable steps" to block users under 16 or face substantial fines, potentially reaching A$49.5 million (approximately Rs 447 crore). While Reddit has stated it will comply with the law by implementing age-assurance measures, including age inference and estimation technology, the company insists the statute is flawed.

Reddit argues that the required age verification methods, which may involve intrusive data collection like facial recognition, pose "serious privacy and political expression issues for everyone on the internet," including adult users. Furthermore, Reddit sought to exempt itself from the ban entirely, claiming its primary purpose is knowledge-sharing and community discussion, not conventional real-time social networking, and thus it should not be classed as an 'age-restricted' platform under the act.

The lawsuit names the Commonwealth of Australia and Communications Minister Anika Wells as defendants. The government has stood firm, with a spokesperson stating the Albanese government is "on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms," and is prepared to fight the legal challenge to protect young Australians from online harm. Reddit's case marks the second High Court challenge against the ban, following a separate challenge filed by two teenagers last month.