By Mauro Orru


Reddit is taking the Australian government to court to block its social-media ban for children under the age of 16, saying the ban infringes on their freedom of political discourse.

Australia became the first country in the world to enact a social-media ban for under-16s this week after a law that requires 10 popular social-media platforms to prevent anyone under that age from holding an account took effect on Wednesday.

Australian officials have said the law is needed to protect teenagers from the dangers of social media and make it easier for parents to keep their children off platforms until they are more mature. However, some tech giants have voiced opposition to the law.

San Francisco-based Reddit is seeking to have the law invalidated. Its lawsuit, filed Friday in Australia's highest court, paves the way for what could be a protracted legal battle with the Australian government.

The company said the law could suppress teenagers' freedom to take part in political discourse years before they become voters. Reddit said there are large amounts of content on several platforms that users can view without an account. It said the reduction of risk of harm to teenagers--a key objective of the law--would be minimal at best.

The office of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese didn't respond to a request for comment.

Reddit is also seeking a declaration that it isn't an "age-restricted social media platform," a definition that requires it to comply with the ban. While logged-out users can't post, comment, vote, join subreddits, use the chat function or act as moderators, content on the platform remains largely accessible to anyone.

Reddit said it introduced changes to comply with the law, such as age prediction for users in Australia as well as stricter chat settings, no ads personalization or sensitive ads and no access to mature content. However, it said the platform would remain accessible to browse without an account.

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms also criticized the law, saying it could push teens to less regulated platforms or apps and that legislation empowering parents to approve app downloads and verify age would be a better option.

"Experts, youth groups, and many parents agree that blanket bans are not the solution--they isolate teens from online communities and information, while providing inconsistent protection across the many apps they use," a Meta spokesperson said.


Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-12-25 0912ET