Reddit added to Australia's social media ban on under-16s
4 hours ago Share Save Lana Lam Sydney Share Save
Getty Images Reddit is one of the latest platforms to be added to Australia's social media ban
Popular forum site Reddit has been added to Australia's world-first social media ban for children under 16 that starts next month. Live-streaming platform Kick will also be included, bringing the number of sites targeted in the ban to nine. They include Facebook, X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Threads. From 10 December, tech companies can be fined up to A$50m ($32.5m; £25.7m) if they do not take "reasonable steps" to deactivate existing accounts for under-16s and prohibit new ones. Each banned platform was chosen as their "sole or a significant purpose is to enable online social interaction," the government said, and more sites may be added given the "fast-changing" nature of technology.
"Delaying children's access to social media accounts gives them valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of harmful and deceptive design features such as opaque algorithms and endless scroll," said Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. Messaging services Discord and WhatsApp and gaming platforms Lego Play and Roblox will not be included, nor will Google Classroom and YouTube Kids. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said the online platforms can target children with "chilling control" and the ban was about protecting children. "We aren't chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference," she said. It is unclear how companies will implement the ban - which is being closely watched by global leaders - but some of the potential methods include using official ID documents, parental approval and facial recognition technology. Critics have raised concerns over data privacy and the accuracy of age verification software, with a recent report showing the proposed methods all have risks or shortcomings.