WORLD (Enmaeya News) - December 16, 2025
Global online forum Reddit has launched a legal challenge against Australia’s new social media law that bans children under 16 from holding accounts, arguing the legislation unlawfully restricts political communication and should not apply to discussion-based platforms.
The ban, which came into effect on December 10, is the first of its kind globally. Major social media platforms are required to remove accounts belonging to Australian users under 16 or face fines of up to $32.9 million.
According to DW, in a filing submitted to Australia’s High Court on Friday, Reddit questioned the validity of the law, saying it infringes the country’s implied constitutional freedom of political communication. The US-based company argued that, as an online discussion forum, it should be exempt from the government’s list of banned platforms.
Reddit stated that its service already carries a “17+” age rating on Apple’s App Store and maintained that age verification should be handled at the app store level rather than through platform-specific identity checks.
It warned that the law’s verification requirements are “intrusive and potentially insecure,” and could prevent older teenagers and young adults from participating in age-appropriate communities, including political discussions.
While acknowledging the need to protect children under 16, Reddit said young users do not represent a significant portion of its audience. “The vast majority of Redditors are adults, and we do not market or target advertising to children under 18,” the company said, adding that it does not intend under-16s to be part of its user base.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government declined to comment directly on the court challenge but said it remained “on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms.”
Under the legislation, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitch, Threads and Kick were instructed to deactivate under-16 accounts.
Australia’s eSafety Commission, which is enforcing the law, sent notices to the platforms on Thursday seeking information on how many child accounts had been removed.
The commission had anticipated legal challenges once enforcement began. Since the ban took effect, several lesser-known platforms have reported a sharp rise in downloads as younger users seek alternatives.
