Child Safety: Age Verification Moves From Compliance to Court as Reddit Challenges Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban

Key Takeaways

• Legal Challenge: Reddit sued Australian government, arguing the youth ban infringes political communication rights.
• Age Verification: Platforms must block under-16 users using birth dates and age-prediction systems.
• Privacy Impact: Reddit warned age checks could weaken anonymity and affect online political expression.

Reddit filed a lawsuit in Australia’s High Court challenging the country’s new social media ban for users under 16. The company said the law infringed on free political expression and raised privacy concerns for online platforms.

The government maintained that it is prepared to defend the law against legal challenges.

Reddit Challenges Australia’s Ban: What The New Law Does

Australia’s ban was implemented this week, making it the first democracy enforcing an age limitation for accessing social media. Platforms that fail to comply can face fines of up to about A$45 million.

Based on the new law, social media platforms will be required to block all under 16 users detected accessing their services, creating a stir among social media users. Underage users found accessing the platforms will not be penalized.

Protecting Children from Toxic Effects of Social Media Abuse

While social media has given many a sense of belonging, others have been targeted through shaming and harassment, or preyed on by predators who sexually abuse them online.

The policy has been introduced to address the growing concerns of cyberbullying, harmful content, and most importantly, mental health risks to children. 

Australian officials said stronger controls were needed to limit exposure to harmful material while other governments in several countries are considering similar restrictions for the same reason.

Reddit’s Position from Compliance to Court

Before the ban took effect, Reddit announced compliance with the new requirements. However, they also expressed concerns about free political expression. Reddit said the rules could have broader implications for political communication online. It said it was seeking judicial review of the law.

In its court filing, Reddit said the law posed privacy concerns for internet users. And argued that large-scale age verification could affect anonymous and pseudonymous participation.

Reddit said Australian users would be asked to provide their birth dates during sign-up. It also said users would be subject to age-prediction models.

Platforms Enforcing Age Checks

Other platforms said they were relying on a mix of age inference and age estimation to follow the law’s requirements. They also expressed concern over the broader implications of this rule. 

Other platforms appear to be implementing the rules while contesting their broader implications. The method includes analyzing users’ online behavior and estimating age from provided selfies.

While the law aims to safeguard children from abuse stemming from social media, it places platforms in a difficult position as some users may feel watched especially those using anonymous accounts.

Some Australian users have begun using other platforms that do not have similar checks in place. Researchers also observed a spike in VPN use suggesting desparate attempts to conceal their identities to access and continue their social media activiites. 

Platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube were initially unsure but later confirmed that they would comply. 

Reddit clarified that it did not plan to join other legal challenges against the ban. A separate case has been filed by two Australian teenagers as well.