Reddit and advocacy group challenge Australia's social media ban in High Court

Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project filed a legal challenge on Tuesday at the Australian High Court to overturn the nation's ban on social media for users under 16. The case marks the first major judicial test of the law, which took effect in December of last year.

Reddit's written submission to the court contends that the ban has had limited effectiveness. The platform argues that there is no scientific consensus regarding the specific harms of social media for young people. A study published in August by Australia-based researchers found little evidence that teenagers stopped using social media despite the ban.

The Digital Freedom Project, led by New South Wales politician John Ruddick, argues that the law is unconstitutional because it limits teenagers' ability to participate in political discourse. The group stated that social media serves as a key tool for accessing news and engaging in political communication for young Australians. It warned that the restriction risks removing beneficial sources of connection and support.

Under the current law, social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit must identify and delete accounts belonging to users under 16. The platforms face substantial fines if they fail to meet these obligations. Last December, these companies deleted millions of accounts to comply with the new regulations.

Reddit claimed that the enforcement approach is more dangerous than the status quo. The company noted that registered accounts are governed by built-in safety features that are lost when users access content without logging in. Its submission stated that young people using platforms without an account are unable to be protected from harmful content as they previously were.

The Australian government established the ban to protect young users from graphic content and online predators. The eSafety Commissioner, the national online regulator, stated that the government has increased restrictions to mitigate the pressures and risks associated with social media use. The government has also proposed opt-out laws that would require companies to allow users to turn off algorithmic feeds.

Meta's social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are currently facing a class action lawsuit in Australia. Eight plaintiffs filed the suit alleging that addictive design features harmed them while they were below the age of 18. The High Court has not indicated a timeline for its decision on the Reddit and Digital Freedom Project challenge.