Reddit takes Australia’s under-16 social media ban to High Court

Reddit has filed a legal challenge in Australia’s High Court against the country’s new ban preventing users under 16 from accessing major social media platforms.

The move came just two days after Reddit implemented mandatory age restrictions to comply with the law.

Reddit Says Verification Rules Harm Adults and Teens

In a statement, the company said it supports protecting young users but argued the law forces “intrusive and potentially insecure” age-verification on both adults and minors.

It also criticised what it called an “illogical patchwork” of platforms covered under the ban.

Reddit emphasised that it functions primarily as a discussion forum for adults and lacks the real-time social features the government has targeted.

Claims the Law Limits Political Communication

Reddit is challenging the legislation on constitutional grounds, arguing it infringes on Australia’s implied freedom of political communication and questioning whether Reddit qualifies as a “social media platform” under the law.

The company stressed it is not seeking to evade compliance, saying age-assurance measures have already been implemented.

It added that most Reddit users are adults and that advertising is not targeted at children.

Separate Challenges and Academic Commentary

The case is separate from a similar challenge by NSW MP John Ruddick’s Digital Freedom Project, which will return to court in late February.

Reddit expects its own challenge to be heard next year if accepted by the High Court.

Legal experts are divided. Griffith University’s Prof Sarah Joseph said the ban arguably cuts off a major source of political information for under-16s and could be difficult to justify.

However, she noted that most implied-freedom challenges historically fail due to the High Court’s narrow interpretation.

Monash University constitutional scholar Luke Beck argued the ban only “slightly reduces” political communication and is likely to survive a constitutional challenge.

Reddit’s Earlier Appeal to eSafety Commissioner

The Guardian previously reported that Reddit had asked the eSafety commissioner in September to be exempted from the ban, saying its platform is centred on knowledge-sharing through pseudonymous, topic-based communities — not real-time networking.

Reddit said it does not use features like friend requests or activity feeds and collects minimal personal data to maintain user pseudonymity.

All 10 platforms included in the ban — Twitch, Kick, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Snap, X, TikTok and Reddit — had implemented compliance measures by Wednesday.