Reddit's legal team challenged Australia's teen social media ban in the High Court, calling the law "ill thought out" and "inept." The platform argues the legislation restricts political debate and fails to achieve its stated aim of protecting youth mental health.
Perry Herzfeld, Reddit's lawyer, told the court the ban prevents under-16s from creating or responding to content on what he called the most important means of communication in the modern world. He said the law lacks specific measures to keep minors off platforms and fails to restrict other services where cyberbullying occurs, such as gaming websites.
The ban, which took effect in late 2025, prohibits large social media platforms from allowing under-16s to hold accounts. Reddit and a libertarian advocacy group filed the challenge.
Herzfeld argued that while logged-in users typically create content, vast amounts of social media material remain visible to people without accounts. He said if the government is concerned about specific features, it should regulate those features rather than ban the platforms outright.
Since the ban went live, studies including one by Australian regulator the eSafety Commissioner have found that most teenagers under the cutoff age continue using social media. The government doubled the maximum fine for non-compliance to A$99 million and said it is preparing enforcement lawsuits against major platforms.
The Australian government's communications minister, a named defendant, said it will defend the law. A successful challenge could prompt more opposition from affected companies and potentially slow similar policies rolling out globally from Britain to Malaysia.