Reddit Takes Australia to Court Over Under-16 Social Media Ban
Reddit has taken its fight against Australia’s strict new social media ban to the nation’s High Court, arguing the country’s world-first ban for users under 16 goes too far and limits political speech.
The rule, which kicked in this week, forces ten major platforms — including Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube— to block under-16s from creating accounts. Supporters say it’s a necessary step to shield kids from harmful content and manipulative algorithms. It’s also wildly popular with many parents, and has even drawn backing from figures like Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry and Meghan, who praised Australia’s “bold” move while adding “it shouldn’t have come to this”.
But the law is sparking backlash from young people, tech companies and digital-rights advocates. Two Australian teens have already filed a separate High Court challenge against the ban, arguing that the ban interferes with “the implied freedom of communication on governmental and political matters”. Their sentiment was summed up by one of them: “Democracy doesn't start at 16 as this law says it will.”
Reddit is now the highest-profile challenger. While the company says it is obeying the law, it argues that the policy “is missing the mark” and that “there are more effective ways for the Australian government to accomplish our shared goal of protecting youth.” The platform says the ban forces “intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors,” creates an “illogical patchwork” of which sites are covered, and risks cutting teens off from “age-appropriate community experiences,” including political conversations.
In its court filings, Reddit stressed that most of its users are adults and that it doesn’t market the platform to under-18s. It also argued that kids might actually be safer with an account, since settings can limit what they see — an option the new law removes. The company insists that the ban isn’t about keeping younger users, stating “there are more targeted, privacy-preserving measures to protect young people online without resorting to blanket bans.”
But the government isn’t budging. Communications Minister Anika Wells said, “We will not be intimidated by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we will stand firm.” Health Minister Mark Butler went further, comparing the challenge to “action we saw time and time again by Big Tobacco”.
Experts warn the ban could be easy to dodge and may push kids into riskier corners of the internet. Others point out that many young people — especially LGBTQ+, neurodivergent or rural teens — rely on online spaces for connection.
