Reddit has launched a legal challenge against Australia’s new ban on social media use by children under 16, becoming the second party to contest the law after the Sydney-based Digital Freedom Project. Both challenges, filed in the High Court, argue that the Social Media Minimum Age (SMMA) law is unconstitutional because it restricts Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.
In a statement posted on its website, Reddit said it shared the government’s goal of protecting young people but warned that the law raises serious concerns.
“We believe there are more effective ways for the Australian government to accomplish our shared goal of protecting youth, and the SMMA law carries serious privacy and political expression issues for everyone on the internet,” the statement said.
Reddit argued that the legislation forces overly intrusive and potentially insecure age-verification processes on adults and minors alike, while also preventing teenagers from participating in age-appropriate online communities including political discussions. The company also criticised the law’s “illogical patchwork” of platforms covered, noting that services such as messaging, email, calling, gaming, health, education, and professional development are exempt.
The platform emphasised that its challenge is not motivated by business concerns, noting that it does not market to children under 18 and that users under 16 do not constitute a significant part of its user base.
The Australian government declined to comment on the specifics of the case but reaffirmed its stance. “The Albanese government is on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms,” it said, adding that it will “stand firm to protect young Australians from harm on social media,” the Associated Press reported.
Under the new rules, Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Twitch, Threads, and Kick could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32.9 million) if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove underage accounts.
Story continues below this ad
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has already issued compulsory information notices to the 10 affected platforms, requiring them to report how many underage accounts they have deactivated since the law took effect. She has indicated that some platforms may have waited for formal notices or fines before pursuing legal action. eSafety will continue issuing such notices every six months to assess compliance.
While some apps get a ban, others like Messenger, WhatsApp, Discord, Roblox, WeChat, RedNote, and LINE get a pass.
Despite its legal challenge, Reddit said it will comply with the law while continuing to work with the eSafety Office. Platforms can verify ages through identification documents, third-party age estimation via facial analysis, or by inferring age from existing user data.
Court documents show Reddit will request the High Court to invalidate the law or, alternatively, to exempt Reddit from the list of age-restricted platforms. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for late February to determine dates for the Digital Freedom Project’s case, filed on behalf of two 15-year-olds. It remains unclear whether the two challenges will be heard together.
