Reddit sues Australia’s social media ban

According to a court filing signed by Reddit attorneys Perry Herzfeld and Jackson Wherrett, the ban is “invalid” because it violates political freedom of speech. The suit names the Australian Government and Communications Minister Anika Wells as defendants.

Responding to the move of Reddit, a social network with more than 100 million daily users around the world, Ms. Wells’s spokesman said: “We will resolutely protect Australian youth from harm on social networks,” and declined to comment further while the case is being considered by the court. The Australian government also previously announced its readiness to deal with any legal challenges related to this law.

Australia officially applied regulations on the mandatory minimum age to access social networks on December 10. Reddit and nine other platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, campaigned against the ban – the first to be implemented in the world – for more than a year before announcing they would comply.

Under the new law, these platforms must block underage users or face fines of up to $32.98 million, while underage users and their guardians are not penalized. Platforms are adopting measures such as inferring age based on online activity and estimating age based on selfies to comply with regulations.

However, Reddit believes that the new law causes some serious issues regarding privacy and freedom of political speech on the Internet. In a 12-page legal filing, Reddit said banning children under 16 would hinder political discussion in the country. The profile states: “Australian citizens under the age of 16 will become voters within a few years, perhaps even months. The choices these citizens make will be shaped by the political conversations they participated in before turning 18.”

Reddit’s lawsuit is the second legal challenge to the new ban in the High Court of Australia. Last month, two teenagers also filed a lawsuit and a hearing is scheduled for February 2026. Reuters Citing close sources, Reddit has no plans to join with other parties to oppose the ban.