Online discussion site Reddit launched a legal challenge Friday to Australia’s social media ban on under-16s, just days after the landmark laws came into effect.
This week, the country became the first to ban under-age users from a raft of popular apps and websites — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X among them.
Tech companies that fail to comply face Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) fines if they do not purge Australia-based users younger than 16.
The court filings by US-based Reddit, a discussion forum site made up of thousands of sprawling niche communities, challenge the general validity of the law, arguing that it should be exempt from the government’s list of banned platforms because it is “not an age-restricted” app.
It added that the law “infringes the implied freedom of political communication”, and called for it to be reviewed by Australia’s High Court.
A Reddit spokesperson said the government had not been consistent in selecting which platforms should be banned, with some apps with large under-16 user groups exempt.
Platforms currently exempt from the law include Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp, but the government has stressed that the list remains under review.
The spokesperson also said that Reddit was an online discussion forum aimed at adults, rather than driven by algorithms and social engagement.
There were serious privacy concerns associated with how platforms needed to verify users’ ages and the collection of personal data which increased the risk of leaks or hacks, the spokesperson added.
Before the ban was enacted December 10, Reddit previously said it would comply with the Australian government’s legislation, but warned it was “legally erroneous”.
An Australian government spokesperson said authorities were ” on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms”.
“We will stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media.”
– Closely watched –
Reddit’s case is separate from one filed by an internet rights group last month, which is also seeking to overturn the laws on the grounds they are an “unfair” assault on freedom of speech.
Australia’s social media ban is being closely watched by all those worried about the dangers of social media, with New Zealand and Malaysia mulling similar restrictions.
The Australian government concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset and canny teenagers will find ways to slip through the cracks.
But authorities say unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from “predatory algorithms” filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence.
