Overview
- Reddit appeared in the High Court after filing to strike down the under‑16 social media law as invalid for infringing the implied freedom of political communication.
- The company also seeks a declaration that it is not covered by the statute, arguing Reddit’s primary purpose is knowledge sharing rather than enabling online social interaction.
- Chief Justice Stephen Gageler ordered the Reddit case to be partly managed alongside a similar challenge by the Digital Freedom Project, with Reddit’s issues to be decided first.
- The government and eSafety Commissioner maintain Reddit is within scope of the law, and platforms face penalties of up to A$49.5 million for failing to take reasonable steps to keep under‑16s off their services.
- Reddit says it will continue to comply with the law during the court process.