Isophoric News · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Reddit and a digital rights group ask Australia's High Court to strike down the under-16 social media ban
Reddit and the Digital Freedom Project argued before Australia's High Court in Canberra on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the law barring under-16s from holding accounts on ten social media platforms is unconstitutional, in the first legal challenge to the ban, which took effect last December. Reddit's lawyer, Perry Herzfeld, told the court the law was "ill thought out" and "a very profound restriction on political debate in Australia," CNA reported. Government lawyer Joanna Davidson SC began setting out the government's case and was due to continue on Wednesday, the BBC reported. Communications Minister Anika Wells said outside the court that the government was defending "an Australian child's right, to be free from harm," according to the BBC. The Digital Freedom Project, led by New South Wales parliamentarian John Ruddick, argues the ban restricts teenagers' ability to take part in political discussion, Al Jazeera reported, and Reddit said it would keep complying with the law while it challenges it. Platforms face fines of up to A$99 million for serious or repeated breaches, and no company had been fined as of Tuesday, the BBC reported; Al Jazeera said it was unclear how long the court would take to decide.
