Australia’s under-16 social media ban faces High Court challenge

Politics · First reported 2 Nov, 19:12 · Updated 19:52

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The High Court is hearing a joint case brought by Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project, which argue that the ban unconstitutionally restricts political communication. The government says the measure is justified to protect children, and the hearings are scheduled across Tuesday and Wednesday.

The ban requires ten platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts; the policy began in December 2025.
Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project say the law burdens political communication and excludes young people from civic engagement. The government argues that any burden is justified by the need to protect children from social media harms.
The hearings are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The BBC reports that no platform has been fined since the ban began.

Summary written by Lux AI from 2 articles

Key facts

Court: Australia’s High Court
Challengers: Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project
Age threshold: Under 16
Platforms covered: Ten platforms
Accounts blocked: Nearly five million, according to ABC
Potential platform fine: Up to A$99 million for serious or repeated breaches