Reddit Challenges Australia’s Social Media Ban Targeting Kids

Fri Dec 12 2025 18:41:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a landmark legal move, Reddit contests Australia's new social media restrictions aimed at under-16 users, emphasizing concerns over privacy and rights.

Reddit has initiated a legal challenge against Australia's recent law prohibiting social media accounts for users under the age of 16. Feeling the new restrictions impose on privacy and political engagement, the platform's compliance is paired with an assertion that there are more effective means to ensure child safety online. This move marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate about children's rights and safety in the digital landscape.

Reddit has launched a challenge in Australia's highest court against the nation's landmark social media ban for children.

The online forum is among 10 social media platforms which must bar Australians aged under 16 from having accounts, under a new law which began on Wednesday.

The ban, which is being watched closely around the world, was justified by campaigners and the government as necessary to protect children from harmful content and algorithms.

Reddit is complying with the ban, but in its case will argue that the policy has serious implications for privacy and political rights. It is the second such legal challenge, with two Australian teens also awaiting a High Court hearing.

Despite the best intentions, this law is missing the mark, Reddit said in an update on its website.

There are more effective ways for the Australian government to accomplish our shared goal of protecting youth. Australia's Communications Minister Anika Wells has previously stated that the government will not be swayed by such legal threats. We will not be intimidated by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we will stand firm, she said in parliament after news of the first legal challenge broke last month.

In that case, which the High Court has agreed to consider at an unscheduled date next year, two 15-year-olds from New South Wales are claiming the social media ban is unconstitutional as it infringes the implied freedom of communication on governmental and political matters. The ban has raised global attention and concern, with advocates for children's rights warning against its potential ineffectiveness.

Experts fear kids are going to circumvent the ban with relative ease, potentially accessing less safe avenues online. Many young people argue it robs them of vital connections, especially those from marginalized communities.

Nonetheless, the policy has gained substantial support among parents and notable public figures. Various global leaders are observing Australia’s approach, as it implements stringent social media regulations like no other nation.

Reddit maintains that the law forces intrusive verification processes on users and argues against the blanket approach, advocating instead for targeted measures that efficiently balance safety and privacy.