Reddit has kicked off a legal fight against Australia’s under-16 social media ban, arguing the legislation unfairly restricts young Australians’ ability to participate in political conversations online.
In its submission to the court, Reddit said that online platforms are a “common source of news and political information” in Australia. It added that its ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions see users ask questions of politicians or candidates.
Reddit argues that teenagers are effectively prevented from making political posts, commenting on or reacting to political content, and engaging with the social media accounts of youth wings belonging to Australia’s major political parties.
In a statement to B&T, Reddit’s chief communications officer Adam Collins said: “We share the Australian government’s goal of protecting young people online, but there are better, more effective ways to achieve it than the SMMA legislation.”
“As we challenge this law in court, we’ll continue to comply with it and advocate for more effective youth safety measures,” he added.
Libertarian group the Digital Freedom Project has also launched separate High Court challenges against the legislation, asserting that the ban unconstitutionally burdens Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.
The legal action argues that preventing under-16s from holding social media accounts limits their ability to engage with political content, express their views and participate in public debate.
The challenge also takes issue with the age-verification requirements imposed on platforms, arguing they are disproportionate and introduce intrusive practices that compromise user privacy.
The legislation came into effect nearly 11 months ago, requiring 10 social media platforms to deactivate or suspend accounts belonging to users they identify as being under 16, while preventing younger users from creating new accounts.
Today, under-16s across Australia woke up to this message.
For kids, it means a safer start online. For parents, it’s one less thing to worry about.
We’re proud Australia’s the first country in the world to make it happen. https://t.co/wXwALJCuzu
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 10, 2025
The affected platforms include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, Kick, Reddit and Twitch.
Since its introduction, more than five million accounts across the 10 platforms have been suspended, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
And in August this year, Meta reported that Facebook and Instagram removed access to 756,000 as of 30 June 2026 in response to the country’s social media ban for under-16s which came into effect in December 2025.
The Digital Freedom Project, led by NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick, is also challenging the legislation on the grounds that it places an unreasonable burden on the implied freedom of political communication. The group is additionally suing the eSafety Commissioner and Communications Minister.
While Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project have brought separate legal proceedings, both are challenging the legislation on the same constitutional grounds and have been joined by the High Court into a single special case.
The hearings are scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the High Court set to consider whether the restrictions imposed by the ban impermissibly burden Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.
Australia does not have an express constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. Instead, the implied freedom of political communication is a constitutional protection that limits the extent to which governments can restrict communication about political and government matters.
The case could have significant implications for the future of Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions, as well as the responsibilities placed on platforms to identify and remove younger users.
