Reddit and libertarian group challenge Australia’s under-16s social media ban in high court
Summary
Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project are challenging Australia’s ban on social media accounts for people under 16 in the High Court. They argue the law restricts political communication, while the government says it protects young people from harmful platform features; the court will also consider whether the advocacy group has standing to bring its case.Key Facts
- The hearings are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
- The ban requires 10 platforms, including Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, to suspend or deactivate accounts they identify as belonging to under-16s.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said more than 5 million accounts have been suspended under the ban.
- Reddit says social media platforms provide news and political information and that teenagers use them to engage with political content and politicians.
- The government says the ban aims to reduce risks from features such as recommendation algorithms, infinite scroll, persistent notifications and likes.
- The Digital Freedom Project is led by New South Wales Libertarian MP John Ruddick.
- Two teenagers who had been lead plaintiffs were withdrawn from the case in July, leaving the advocacy group as a plaintiff.
- The government argues that the Digital Freedom Project has not shown how the ban impedes its activities and therefore lacks standing to sue.
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