Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

The online platform Reddit plans to challenge in court the Australian government’s decision to ban the use of social media by people under the age of 16, a measure that came into effect on December 10. The information was reported by Sky News Australia, citing the company’s legal complaint, Azernews reports.

According to the filing, Reddit argues that the new law forces not only teenagers but also adult users to undergo “intrusive and potentially unsafe verification procedures,” which the company says restrict freedom of communication and pose risks to user privacy. “In addition, the ban prevents children and adolescents from expressing their views directly and creates barriers to political participation in Australia,” the company noted, adding that the measure effectively “isolates young people and deprives them of the opportunity to take part in public life and political discussions.”

In court, Reddit intends to demonstrate that including the platform on the list of websites prohibited for minors was a mistake, arguing that the service is “an adult-oriented forum rather than a traditional social network.” While the company supports the broader goal of online safety for young people, it calls for “more targeted and privacy-respecting solutions.”

The controversy has already sparked intense public debate in Australia. Some users predict that the law will drive teenagers toward closed messaging platforms, while others speculate that it may accelerate the development of new, anonymous verification technologies as a compromise between safety and digital freedom. The new restrictions have quickly become one of the most hotly discussed topics in the Australian online community—and the upcoming legal battle is likely to amplify the discussion even further.