Forum social media giant Reddit has challenged in the High Court of Australia the new regulation that prohibits children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts.
The law, which took effect on Wednesday, affects ten platforms, including Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Twitch and Kik.
The Australian government and advocacy groups have supported the prohibition as a step towards protecting children from detrimental content and algorithms. However, Reddit said it would comply with the law but intends to contest it in court, arguing that it has considerable repercussions for privacy and political rights.
“Even with good intentions, this legislation is misguided,” Reddit said in an update on its site. “There are more effective methods for the Australian government to achieve our mutual goal of safeguarding youth.”
This marks the second legal challenge against the prohibition. Previously, a pair of 15-year-olds from New South Wales filed a lawsuit, asserting that the ban infringes upon the “implied freedom of communication regarding governmental and political issues.”
The high court has consented to hear the case at a date yet to be determined next year.
Meanwhile, Communications Minister Anika Wells said that the government would not be swayed by legal challenges. “We will not be daunted by big tech. On behalf of Australian parents, we will remain resolute,” she said while addressing the parliament.
Reddit, on the other hand, also pointed out possible concerns regarding the law’s verification methods. The platform noted that it necessitates “intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes for both adults and minors”, which separates teens from “age-appropriate community experiences”.
It further mentioned that the law, which made Australia the first nation to impose a blanket prohibition – moving away from a consent-based approach – establishes “an illogical framework regarding which platforms are encompassed and which are not”.
The ban, which has garnered international attention, has other nations, including the European Union and the state of Florida in the US, also mulling measures to restrict children’s access to social media.
