Reddit says it’s not a social media platform. Australia’s High Court is unlikely to agree |
Reddit is asking Australia’s High Court to rule that it’s not a social media platform and therefore should not have to comply with the under-16s social media account ban.
The US-based web forum’s High Court case raises two issues. First, it raises the same constitutional implied freedom of political communication issue raised in a case commenced last month by two 15-year-olds, which the High Court will hear in February.
Second, it asks the High Court to rule that even if the legislation is valid, Reddit falls outside the legislation’s scope.
So what platforms does the social media account ban apply to? And is Reddit really not a social media platform?
The legislation requires “age-restricted social media platforms” to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having accounts. The law does not ban teenagers from using the internet or accessing social media platforms in logged-out mode.
The legislation says the ban........