12/12/2025, 07:2412/12/2025, 07:24
The recently introduced social media ban on children under 16 in Australia is being challenged in court by the online platform Reddit. The forum operator filed a complaint with the Australian High Court – arguing that the ban was unlawful because it restricted freedom of political communication. Reddit also pointed out a second point: Even if the court were to judge the ban as legal, unlike other platforms, it would not fall under the definition of social media.
Reddit opposes social media ban in Australia.Image: imago-images.de
Reddit is one of the services where users under the age of 16 are no longer allowed to have an account since the new rules came into force on December 10th. Nine other providers such as TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are also affected.
Among other things, Reddit uses software to estimate the age of users. Anyone believed to be under 16 will be asked to prove their age.
Ban should give time for development
The government’s online safety officer, Julie Inman Grant, counters complaints about the controversial ban by saying that giving children and young people later access to social media gives them time to develop without its harmful influence. Messaging services, email, voice and video calls, online gaming and educational offerings are not included in the ban. This excludes WhatsApp and the gaming platform Roblox.
Reddit points out that under Australian law, exchanges on political topics may only be restricted in justified cases and to a limited extent. However, the ban would generally exclude all users under the age of 16 from political communication on online platforms. Reddit calls the selection of which services are affected and which are not “illogical”.
Reddit: Not part of social media
Reddit argues that since the forums are run by users themselves, they are not a social media platform in the true sense. Only those who are interested in certain topics access the site specifically. Unlike other platforms, Reddit also does not ask its users for permission to upload their contacts so that they can find people they know. In addition, the ban does not actually apply to services where – as in the case of Reddit – content is visible to everyone even without registering.
The government in Canberra introduced the law a year ago, making Australia a global pioneer. Almost all major parties supported the move by the government of Social Democratic Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The platforms were given twelve months to implement the new age restriction. (dab/sda/dpa)
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