Reddit Sues Australia Over Teen Social Media Ban as Other Nations Consider Similar Laws
Reddit just challenged Australia’s new landmark ban on social media accounts for teenagers. The message-board site filed a lawsuit on Friday in the country’s highest court to block the law, arguing it infringes on teens’ “freedom of political communication.” Two Australian teenagers have also filed a separate lawsuit challenging the law on similar grounds. The lawsuit comes just days after the policy went into effect on Wednesday. The law is aimed at protecting kids and teens from the worst parts of the internet, such as cyberbullying and content related to eating disorders and self-harm. It prohibits anyone under 16 from having accounts on the internet’s biggest social media networks. The 10 affected services include TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Kick, and Twitch.
The policy requires platforms to use age-verification tech to ensure all account holders are 16 or older, and any account tied to someone younger gets deactivated. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to enforce the ban could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million).
Somewhat surprisingly, platforms like Roblox and AI chatbots—both of which have made headlines over safety concerns—were left out of the initial ban. However, more platforms could be added in the future. The outcome of the lawsuit could have sweeping effects on the future of these kinds of laws, especially as other countries consider implementing similar measures soon. Denmark and Malaysia are among the nations expected to roll out social-media bans for teens and children as soon as next year.
Other governments, like the U.K. and several U.S. states, have implemented less drastic age-verification requirements also aimed at shielding kids from porn and other harmful online content. But many people online have shared ways to bypass those systems with VPNs or even a certain video game, raising questions about how effective any of these rules really are.
Reddit, meanwhile, argues that Australia’s law suppresses teenagers’ freedom and their ability to participate in political discussions, especially when they aren’t even allowed to vote. The company also notes that the majority of its content is already available publicly without an account, claiming that this means the law’s “reduction of risk of harm is minimal (at best).” “We will stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media. The matter is before the courts so it is not appropriate to comment further,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government told ABC News in a statement regarding the lawsuit.
