Reddit Challenges Australia’s World-First Under-16 Social Media Ban
California-based online platform Reddit has filed a legal challenge in Australia’s High Court against the country’s newly enacted law that bans users under the age of 16 from holding accounts on major social media platforms.
This legislation, considered the first of its kind worldwide, took effect recently and represents a major moment in how governments attempt to regulate youth access to social media.
📌 What the Law Says
Under the new Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law, platforms such as Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Threads, Twitch and Kick must take “reasonable steps” to prevent Australians under 16 from maintaining accounts.
Failure to comply can result in fines of up to A$49.5 million (approximately $33 million) per platform.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, is responsible for enforcing the law and has already begun issuing compliance notices to the affected platforms.
⚖️ Why Reddit Is Suing
In its court filing, Reddit argues that the law is:
✔ Unconstitutional because it infringes on Australia’s implied freedom of political communication,
✔ Imprecise or misapplied to Reddit’s community-forum model, which it says isn’t traditional “social media,”
✔ Potentially leading to intrusive age-verification measures that could affect adults as well as minors, and
✔ Creating a patchwork of platform inclusion that doesn’t reflect real user behaviour.
Reddit’s legal action follows a similar challenge filed by the Digital Freedom Project, a Sydney-based rights group representing two teenagers.
Despite lodging the lawsuit, Reddit says it will continue to comply with the law while the court reviews the case.
🧠 Core Issues Highlighted
🔍 Age Verification and Privacy
The law doesn’t specify how platforms must verify ages, leaving companies to consider methods such as:
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biometric age estimation (e.g., analyzing video selfies),
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uploading government IDs,
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or cross-referencing existing data.
Platforms argue these measures could be privacy invasive and technically challenging.
💬 Free Expression and Political Communication
Reddit contends that restricting accounts for teens could inadvertently curtail access to information and youth participation in public discourse, a key consideration when evaluating constitutional rights.
🧑💻 Platform Inclusion Criteria
Reddit also disputes its classification as a “social media” platform under the law, noting its forum-style model and largely adult user base.
🏛️ Government Position
Officials in the Albanese government have defended the law, framing it as a measure to protect children from online harms. While they have reiterated support for the regulation, detailed public comments remain limited due to the court challenge.
🕒 What’s Next
A preliminary High Court hearing has been set to organise the full hearing schedule early in 2026. It remains to be seen whether Reddit’s challenge will be heard jointly with the Digital Freedom Project case or separately.
📊 Why This Matters to Tech and Policy
This development is significant for several reasons:
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Technology regulation: Australia’s law may set a global precedent for age-based access controls.
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Privacy vs safety balance: Platforms are wrestling with how to protect users without compromising privacy.
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Legal interpretations of digital rights: Free speech and political communication are now central in tech legal battles.
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Technical compliance challenges: Platforms must develop scalable age-verification solutions or face penalties.
🧾 Summary
Reddit’s legal challenge against Australia’s under-16 social media law represents a critical intersection of tech policy, digital rights, regulatory compliance, and platform governance. As courts begin to scrutinise this groundbreaking regulation, the outcomes may influence how other countries approach online safety and youth access to digital platforms.
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