Reddit Sues Australia For Ban On Social Media For Children Under 16

Reddit sued Australia (photo: dock. unsplash)

JAKARTA Reddit, a US-based online forum, has sued Australia to the country's highest court. The lawsuit is filed to oppose the ban on social media for children under 16 years of age.

According to Reddit, as reported by Reuters, it stated that this ban was a violation of the discourse on free politics. The platform, which has a large market in Australia, also said that the ban should be declared invalid.

"Australian citizens under the age of 16 ... will be voters. The political communication they follow before the age of 18 will affect their choice," Reddit wrote in his lawsuit document.

For Reddit, the ban, which has been in effect since December 10, 2025, interferes with free speech. If the court supports the ban, Reddit asks the platform to be excluded. They claim that Reddit is not social media.

The defendants in Reddit's filing are the Australian Commonwealth and Communications Minister Anika Wells. This is the second lawsuit filed to lift the social media ban for children who are not yet 16 years old.

If Reddit were able to win the lawsuit, this success would encourage other major platforms to do the same. Apart from Reddit, other platforms known to oppose Australia's ban are YouTube and TikTok.

Anika Wells responded firmly to the lawsuit. According to him, this prohibition prioritizes child safety, not a platform. Despite the criticism or lawsuit received, the Ministry of Communication will continue to maintain its ban.

"The Australian government sided with the parents and children of Australia, not on the platform," Wells said, quoted on Friday, December 12. "(the government will) stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing danger on social media."