Reddit sues Australia over teenager social media ban

"Reddit is suing the Australian government over its newly enacted social media ban, which prevents children aged 16 and younger from accessing most social media platforms. Reddit argued that the ban impinges on the right to free political discourse implied by the country's constitution, according to a Reuters report. In essence, blocking the youths from Reddit would block their freedom of speech, the company said. Reddit also argued that it was not, primarily speaking, a social media site, but rather a place for exchanging information and ideas."

"'Reddit enables online interactions about the content that users post on the site. It facilitates knowledge sharing from one user to other users,' the filing reads, via the Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC). The filing added: 'It is not a significant purpose of the site to enable interactions engaged in because of a particular user's relationship with or interest in another user as a person; indeed, in most cases, the identity of a user on Reddit is not even known to other users.'"

"The social media ban went into effect on Wednesday, pulling children's access to sites like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, and more. Most platforms complied with the ban by blocking access to any account with a user 16 and under - though, of course, that's a relatively easy barrier to dodge for tech-savvy young people. But it would, perhaps, keep kids from unfettered access to algorithmic suggestions."

Reddit has filed a lawsuit challenging Australia's new law that blocks most social media access for children aged 16 and under. The company argues the ban curtails a constitutional right to free political discourse by denying youths access to platforms where ideas circulate. Reddit contends its platform primarily facilitates information exchange and knowledge sharing rather than interpersonal social interactions, noting many users remain anonymous. The ban took effect Wednesday and led major platforms to restrict accounts of users 16 and younger. Platforms' compliance mainly involved age-based blocks, which Reddit notes can be easily circumvented but may limit exposure to algorithmic recommendations.

Read at Mashable