The Australian government has acknowledged it introduced a nationwide ban on social media use for individuals under 16 years old before there was scientific consensus linking such use to mental health harms. However, in its defense against ongoing legal challenges, the government maintained that credible risks, including addictive behaviors and anxiety, warranted the precautionary measure.

The under-16s social media ban came into effect in December 2025 and has faced legal opposition from major tech platforms, notably US-based Reddit, which has filed a high court challenge alongside another case. Both are expected to be heard jointly before the end of 2026. Reddit argues the ban infringes on the implied freedom of political communication in Australia and fails to effectively address potential harms. The company highlighted inconsistencies in the ban, noting the exclusion of certain platforms and the persistence of problematic features accessible to underage users without accounts. Reddit also pointed to reports suggesting that some children under 16 have circumvented the ban by maintaining or creating new accounts since its implementation.

In its court submissions last month, Reddit proposed that the government’s forthcoming digital duty of care legislation, which would allow users to opt out of algorithm-driven features on social media, could address the concerns more directly than the blanket age-based ban. Reddit emphasized the lack of scientific consensus on whether social media use causes specific harms in young people.

The Australian government responded in a submission filed last Friday, arguing that while scientific certainty is lacking, there are “significant credible risks” associated with social media use by minors. These risks, the government stated, include addiction, disrupted sleep patterns, and worsening mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The submission argued that uncertainty around causation should not delay protective action, asserting the ban as a justified precaution.

Moreover, the government contended that its proposed digital duty of care laws would ultimately require platforms to restrict or disable account features that pose risks to under-16 users, a mandate aligned with the existing ban's aims. The government noted that since the ban's introduction, there has been “substantial practical action,” including the removal of nearly five million accounts in December alone, with Reddit suspending 43,962 accounts between December and March.

To strengthen enforcement, Canberra has expanded the powers of the eSafety commissioner and increased potential fines for non-compliance to nearly AUD 100 million, seeking to compel platforms to remove remaining underage users.

In addition to Reddit, the peak US tech industry association NetChoice and the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have also sought to participate in the legal proceedings. NetChoice represents major social media and content platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Snap, Twitch, Reddit, X, and YouTube, all of which are subject to the Australian under-16 social media ban.