Reddit sues Australia over kids’ ban
By Alimat Aliyeva
The online platform Reddit plans to challenge in court the
Australian government’s decision to ban the use of social media by
people under the age of 16, a measure that came into effect on
December 10. The information was reported by Sky News Australia,
citing the company’s legal complaint, Azernews
reports.
According to the filing, Reddit argues that the new law forces
not only teenagers but also adult users to undergo “intrusive and
potentially unsafe verification procedures,” which the company says
restrict freedom of communication and pose risks to user privacy.
“In addition, the ban prevents children and adolescents from
expressing their views directly and creates barriers to political
participation in Australia,” the company noted, adding that the
measure effectively “isolates young people and deprives them of the
opportunity to take part in public life and political
discussions.”
In court, Reddit intends to demonstrate that including the
platform on the list of websites prohibited for minors was a
mistake, arguing that the service is “an adult-oriented forum
rather than a traditional social network.” While the company
supports the broader goal of online safety for young people, it
calls for “more targeted and privacy-respecting solutions.”
The controversy has already sparked intense public debate in
Australia. Some users predict that the law will drive teenagers
toward closed messaging platforms, while others speculate that it
may accelerate the development of new, anonymous verification
technologies as a compromise between safety and digital freedom.
The new restrictions have quickly become one of the most hotly
discussed topics in the Australian online community—and the
upcoming legal battle is likely to amplify the discussion even
further.
Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention.
Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more.
Subscribe
You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper
Thank you!
