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Reddit slams Australia's 'ill-thought-out and overbroad' under-16 social media ban as High Court judges appear sceptical

Noah Jones, a 16-year-old outside the scope of the ban, told reporters the law is "a stepping stone further and further to censorship" disguised as child safety.
Noah Jones, a 16-year-old outside the scope of the ban, told reporters the law is "a stepping stone further and further to censorship" disguised as child safety.

Australia's High Court on Tuesday began a two-day constitutional hearing into the world-first law banning under-16s from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Snapchat, X, YouTube and six other platforms, with judges appearing sceptical of the challenges after day one. Reddit called the restrictions "ill-thought-out and overbroad" and pointed to enforcement failures, arguing that pushing teens off registered accounts actually strips them of built-in safety protections.

Several High Court justices pushed back hard, suggesting children can engage in political debate without social media accounts.

Reddit also argued there is no "scientific consensus" on social media harms and that it should not have been grouped with other banned platforms.

Noah Jones, 16, who was removed as a plaintiff to shield him from legal costs, told reporters outside court the law is "a stepping stone further and further to censorship."

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