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 lawsuit argues that the ban violates the implied freedom of political communication. The U.S.-based company, with operations in Australia, contends that the ban is invalid and has named the Commonwealth of Australia and Communications Minister Anika Wells as defendants. While Wells’ spokesperson was not immediately available for comment, the Australian government has expressed readiness to defend the law against legal challenges.
Australia recently enforced the world’s first age minimum requirement for accessing social media. Reddit, along with other platforms like Meta’s Instagram, Alphabet’s YouTube, and TikTok, had opposed the measure for over a year before agreeing to comply with the new regulations. The platforms must prevent underage users from accessing their services or face fines of up to approximately $45 million. To enforce the ban, platforms are using methods such as age inference, based on online behavior, and age estimation, using selfies.
Reddit highlighted concerns regarding privacy and freedom of expression on the internet due to the law’s implications. As a result, Reddit has filed an application to review the law through its recent lawsuit. This legal challenge marks the second attempt to contest the ban in the High Court, following a previous challenge initiated by two teenagers supported by an Australian libertarian state lawmaker. Reddit has stated that it does not intend to join other parties in challenging the ban.
The lawsuit aims to address the privacy and political expression issues posed by the social media ban in Australia. The law, which restricts individuals under 16 from accessing social media platforms, has sparked debates on the effectiveness of age verification methods and the potential impact on young users navigating the restrictions.