Reddit sues Australia over age restriction on social media accounts

(MENAFN) Reddit has filed a lawsuit in Australia’s High Court, challenging the country’s new law that prohibits children under 16 from using major social media platforms. The law, which took effect this week, also affects Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X, and YouTube, as listed by the Australian eSafety Commissioner.

The platform’s legal challenge follows a similar case filed last month by the Sydney-based rights group, Digital Freedom Project. Both lawsuits argue that the law is unconstitutional, claiming it infringes on Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.

In a statement, Reddit said: “While we agree with the importance of protecting people under 16, this law has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences (including political discussions), and creating an illogical patchwork of which platforms are included and which aren’t.”

Under the legislation, platforms face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($33 million) if children under 16 are not blocked. The law excludes certain services, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord, GitHub, Google Classroom, LEGO Play, Pinterest, Steam, Steam Chat, and YouTube Kids.

Reddit’s filing asks the seven High Court judges to declare the law invalid or, alternatively, prevent Reddit from being included on the list of restricted platforms. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for late February.

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