Reddit takes Australia's under-16 social media ban to the High Court
Reddit is challenging Australia's under-16 social media ban in the High Court, arguing that it limits young people's ability to take part in political debate. Hearings in the case began on 3 November 2026. The Australian government accepts that the ban is an effective burden on under-16s' ability to communicate politically, but argues that the burden is narrow, indirect and modest.
The High Court is Australia's highest court. Reddit's case rests on the implied freedom of political communication, a constitutional protection for discussion of government and politics. Reddit is represented by barrister Perry Herzfeld. The company submits that a user needs an account to "communicate" on Reddit, so a ban on under-16s holding accounts stops them from communicating at all.
Reddit's case is brought jointly with the Digital Freedom Project, an advocacy group. Reuters reported that Reddit described the ban as "inept". Politico reported Reddit's description of the age restrictions as "ill-thought-out and overbroad". Reddit also argues that the ban has serious implications for privacy and political rights, according to the BBC.
The government's case was put by Stephen Lloyd SC, a senior barrister acting for the Commonwealth. According to the Guardian, Lloyd told the court the ban was aimed at design features such as endless scroll, likes and comments, personalised recommendations and push notifications. The government rejected Reddit's claim that the ban is a "blunt tool" for reducing harms.
The ban covers ten platforms: Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Kick, X, Twitch and Threads. Apart from YouTube Kids, none of them has obtained an exemption for a teen-specific version of its site. Since the ban took effect in December 2025, more than 5 million accounts understood to belong to under-16s across those platforms have been suspended or deactivated.
Reddit has filed its plaintiff submissions and later reply submissions with the High Court. Other parties have also lodged filings in the case. These include interventions from the attorneys-general of Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory, and a joint filing from NetChoice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
