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Reddit tells Australian court it isn't a social media site, calls the country's under-16 ban "ill thought out" and "inept"

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Reddit tells Australian court it isn't a social media site, calls the country's under-16 ban "ill thought out" and "inept"

In a nutshell: Reddit is continuing its long-running legal fight against Australia over the country's ban on under-16s using social media. The company has called the rule "ill thought out" and "inept," while repeating its earlier argument that Reddit is not a social media platform.

Australia passed its under-16 social media law in 2024, and the restrictions took effect on December 10, 2025, making it the first country to introduce a ban that has since spread around the world.

The law requires platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from creating or keeping accounts. Companies that fail to do so face court-imposed civil penalties of up to AU$109.2 million (about $76 million).

Unsurprisingly, these companies weren't happy about the change, especially Reddit. Soon after the law was introduced, Steve Huffman's firm challenged the law, emphasized that the platform is a "collection of public fora," rather than a social media site. It also filed a lawsuit in Australia's High Court to overturn the ban or, failing that, make itself exempt.

Reddit and a libertarian advocacy group say the law should be declared invalid because it violates an implied freedom of political expression in the country's constitution.

As for why it shouldn't qualify as a social media site, Reddit says it lacks certain features central to the likes of Facebook, including a reliance on friend networks.

Australia's eSafety Commission has published flowcharts to help companies establish whether they fall under the ban.


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