Reddit has launched a High Court challenge against Australia’s new age-restriction law, becoming the first major global platform to formally push back against the country’s world-first ban on social media accounts for children under 16. The company’s move comes just a month after a similar action by local rights organisation Digital Freedom Project, which is representing two teenagers affected by the policy.
The law, which took effect this week, places responsibility on social networks to identify and remove accounts held by under-16 users. Platforms that fail to take “reasonable steps” face penalties reaching AUD 49.5 million. In a statement on Friday, Reddit said that while it supported efforts to protect young users, the new rules raised serious questions around privacy and political expression—two areas the company believes are protected under Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.
Reddit argued that enforcing age checks would require platforms to introduce intrusive verification measures for everyone, not just minors. It warned that such steps could compromise user privacy and create barriers to legitimate community participation, including discussions on political and civic issues. At the same time, the company noted that the law exempts certain platforms entirely, which it described as “an illogical patchwork” that undermines the policy’s intent.
The Albanese government declined to comment directly on the legal challenge, saying only that it “stands with parents and children” in reducing online harms. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has already issued compulsory notices to major platforms, seeking data on how many underage accounts have been removed since the law came into force.
Despite its objections, Reddit confirmed it will comply with the regulations as required. The High Court is expected to hold a preliminary hearing in late February, after which it will determine whether Reddit’s case and the Digital Freedom Project challenge will be heard together.