By AFP
December 11, 2025
Online discussion site Reddit launches a legal challenge to Australia's social media ban on under-16s, just days after the landmark laws came into effect
- Copyright AFP/File Lionel BONAVENTURE
Laura CHUNG
Online discussion site Reddit launched a legal challenge Friday to Australia’s social media ban on under-16s, just days after the landmark laws came into effect.
This week, the country became the first to ban under-age users from a raft of popular apps and websites — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X among them.
Tech companies that fail to comply face Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) fines if they do not purge Australia-based users younger than 16.
The court filings by US-based Reddit, a discussion forum site made up of thousands of sprawling niche communities, challenge the general validity of the law, arguing that it should be exempt from the government’s list of banned platforms because it is “not an age-restricted” app.
It added that the law “infringes the implied freedom of political communication”, and called for it to be reviewed by Australia’s High Court.
A Reddit spokesperson said the government had not been consistent in selecting which platforms should be banned, with some apps with large under-16 user groups exempt.
Platforms currently exempt from the law include Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp, but the government has stressed that the list remains under review.
The spokesperson also said that Reddit was an online discussion forum aimed at adults, rather than driven by algorithms and social engagement.
There were serious privacy concerns associated with how platforms needed to verify users’ ages and the collection of personal data which increased the risk of leaks or hacks, the spokesperson added.
Before the ban was enacted December 10, Reddit previously said it would comply with the Australian government’s legislation, but warned it was “legally erroneous”.
An Australian government spokesperson said authorities were ” on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms”.
“We will stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media.”
– Closely watched –
Reddit’s case is separate from one filed by an internet rights group last month, which is also seeking to overturn the laws on the grounds they are an “unfair” assault on freedom of speech.
Australia’s social media ban is being closely watched by all those worried about the dangers of social media, with New Zealand and Malaysia mulling similar restrictions.
The Australian government concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset and canny teenagers will find ways to slip through the cracks.
But authorities say unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from “predatory algorithms” filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence.
Laura CHUNG
Online discussion site Reddit launched a legal challenge Friday to Australia’s social media ban on under-16s, just days after the landmark laws came into effect.
This week, the country became the first to ban under-age users from a raft of popular apps and websites — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and X among them.
Tech companies that fail to comply face Aus$49.5 million (US$33 million) fines if they do not purge Australia-based users younger than 16.
The court filings by US-based Reddit, a discussion forum site made up of thousands of sprawling niche communities, challenge the general validity of the law, arguing that it should be exempt from the government’s list of banned platforms because it is “not an age-restricted” app.
It added that the law “infringes the implied freedom of political communication”, and called for it to be reviewed by Australia’s High Court.
A Reddit spokesperson said the government had not been consistent in selecting which platforms should be banned, with some apps with large under-16 user groups exempt.
Platforms currently exempt from the law include Roblox, Pinterest and WhatsApp, but the government has stressed that the list remains under review.
The spokesperson also said that Reddit was an online discussion forum aimed at adults, rather than driven by algorithms and social engagement.
There were serious privacy concerns associated with how platforms needed to verify users’ ages and the collection of personal data which increased the risk of leaks or hacks, the spokesperson added.
Before the ban was enacted December 10, Reddit previously said it would comply with the Australian government’s legislation, but warned it was “legally erroneous”.
An Australian government spokesperson said authorities were ” on the side of Australian parents and kids, not platforms”.
“We will stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media.”
– Closely watched –
Reddit’s case is separate from one filed by an internet rights group last month, which is also seeking to overturn the laws on the grounds they are an “unfair” assault on freedom of speech.
Australia’s social media ban is being closely watched by all those worried about the dangers of social media, with New Zealand and Malaysia mulling similar restrictions.
The Australian government concedes the ban will be far from perfect at the outset and canny teenagers will find ways to slip through the cracks.
But authorities say unprecedented measures are needed to protect children from “predatory algorithms” filling phone screens with bullying, sex and violence.
‘Not black or white’: Teens worldwide react to Australia social media ban
By AFP
December 7, 2025
Australia's landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries - Copyright AFP/File DAVID GRAY
AFP bureaus
Australia’s landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries, which could follow suit with similar laws.
AFP spoke to teenagers and adults around the world about the Australian ban, which comes in on Wednesday. Here are some of their reactions:
– Mumbai: ‘Nothing is black or white’ –
At the seafront in India’s Mumbai, 19-year-old Pratigya Jena scrolls with her friends through Instagram videos of a posing influencer and a camel at a beach.
Social media “should be partially banned because according to me nothing is either black or white”, the student said.
“Gen Z are very active, they are doing really well on social media. And doing great things, especially young entrepreneurs,” Jena said.
At the same time, children watching adult content online “has a very bad effect”.
At a Mumbai park, cricket coach Pratik Bhurke, 38, said Australia’s move would encourage children to spend time outdoors and could have “great benefits” in India too.
– Berlin: ‘Help to detox’ –
In the chilly German capital, Luna Drewes, 13, is watching selfie-style TikTok clips posted by other young people.
“Actually a good thing in some ways because social media often portrays a certain image of how people should look, like girls have to be thin,” she said of the ban.
Another teenager, Enno Caro Brandes, said: “I’m 15 so for me the ban would definitely come into effect. I can’t really imagine giving it up completely.
“A ban is a bit extreme, but it could definitely help to do a detox.”
– Doha: ‘Really stupid’ –
An AI baby singing and answering interview questions are among the videos served up to Firdha Razak, 16, as she scrolls in her room.
Razak is not in favour of a ban. “It’s really stupid, honestly,” although “there’s not really much we can do as 16-year-olds” if governments decide to act, she said.
The families of many people in Qatar live abroad, so “it’s going to be so much harder to talk to them”.
Also in Doha, Youssef Walid, 16, said bans like Australia’s were “a bit harsh” and hard to enforce.
“We can use VPN. We can easily bypass the security and easily make new accounts,” he said.
– Lagos: ‘We were born with it’ –
At a Nigerian high school, Mitchelle Okinedo is revising for exams, checking over her hand-written notes. In the classroom — where phones are banned — students in uniform sit at separate desks.
“I see where the (Australian) government is coming from. Students nowadays, they are really distracted,” Okinedo said.
Even so, “we were born with it”, the 15-year-old added. “And I don’t think it’s something I want to stop.”
Her mother, 50-year-old event planner Hannah Okinedo, agrees with a social media ban for under-16s, saying most parents “don’t have time to monitor their children all day”.
– Mexico City: ‘Express yourself’ –
Young Mexico City resident Aranza Gomez, 11, has had a smartphone with access to social media for one year.
Without it, “I would honestly feel sad. I wouldn’t really have a good way to spend my time,” she said.
Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, is sitting on a bench in the Tabacalera district, scrolling through posts containing news about Argentina and tour dates for a musician.
“Social media today is very important for expressing yourself, no matter how old you are,” said Rojas.
But “there are many kidnappings that begin online” and “younger kids, around 10 or 12, are much more vulnerable”.
– Sydney: ‘Not going to have any impact’ –
In Australia one family has diverging ideas on how the law will go.
“I don’t think the government really knows what they’re doing and I don’t think it’s going to have any impact on children of Australia,” said 15-year-old Layton Lewis.
But his mother Emily Lewis hopes it will help children “have better, more authentic relationships”.
“They’ll make proper plans, like we used to, to meet up with their friends face-to-face and have proper conversations as opposed to these illusive friendships online,” she said.
burs-kaf/pst
By AFP
December 7, 2025
Australia's landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries - Copyright AFP/File DAVID GRAY
AFP bureaus
Australia’s landmark move to ban under-16s from social media will be closely watched by other countries, which could follow suit with similar laws.
AFP spoke to teenagers and adults around the world about the Australian ban, which comes in on Wednesday. Here are some of their reactions:
– Mumbai: ‘Nothing is black or white’ –
At the seafront in India’s Mumbai, 19-year-old Pratigya Jena scrolls with her friends through Instagram videos of a posing influencer and a camel at a beach.
Social media “should be partially banned because according to me nothing is either black or white”, the student said.
“Gen Z are very active, they are doing really well on social media. And doing great things, especially young entrepreneurs,” Jena said.
At the same time, children watching adult content online “has a very bad effect”.
At a Mumbai park, cricket coach Pratik Bhurke, 38, said Australia’s move would encourage children to spend time outdoors and could have “great benefits” in India too.
– Berlin: ‘Help to detox’ –
In the chilly German capital, Luna Drewes, 13, is watching selfie-style TikTok clips posted by other young people.
“Actually a good thing in some ways because social media often portrays a certain image of how people should look, like girls have to be thin,” she said of the ban.
Another teenager, Enno Caro Brandes, said: “I’m 15 so for me the ban would definitely come into effect. I can’t really imagine giving it up completely.
“A ban is a bit extreme, but it could definitely help to do a detox.”
– Doha: ‘Really stupid’ –
An AI baby singing and answering interview questions are among the videos served up to Firdha Razak, 16, as she scrolls in her room.
Razak is not in favour of a ban. “It’s really stupid, honestly,” although “there’s not really much we can do as 16-year-olds” if governments decide to act, she said.
The families of many people in Qatar live abroad, so “it’s going to be so much harder to talk to them”.
Also in Doha, Youssef Walid, 16, said bans like Australia’s were “a bit harsh” and hard to enforce.
“We can use VPN. We can easily bypass the security and easily make new accounts,” he said.
– Lagos: ‘We were born with it’ –
At a Nigerian high school, Mitchelle Okinedo is revising for exams, checking over her hand-written notes. In the classroom — where phones are banned — students in uniform sit at separate desks.
“I see where the (Australian) government is coming from. Students nowadays, they are really distracted,” Okinedo said.
Even so, “we were born with it”, the 15-year-old added. “And I don’t think it’s something I want to stop.”
Her mother, 50-year-old event planner Hannah Okinedo, agrees with a social media ban for under-16s, saying most parents “don’t have time to monitor their children all day”.
– Mexico City: ‘Express yourself’ –
Young Mexico City resident Aranza Gomez, 11, has had a smartphone with access to social media for one year.
Without it, “I would honestly feel sad. I wouldn’t really have a good way to spend my time,” she said.
Santiago Ramirez Rojas, 16, is sitting on a bench in the Tabacalera district, scrolling through posts containing news about Argentina and tour dates for a musician.
“Social media today is very important for expressing yourself, no matter how old you are,” said Rojas.
But “there are many kidnappings that begin online” and “younger kids, around 10 or 12, are much more vulnerable”.
– Sydney: ‘Not going to have any impact’ –
In Australia one family has diverging ideas on how the law will go.
“I don’t think the government really knows what they’re doing and I don’t think it’s going to have any impact on children of Australia,” said 15-year-old Layton Lewis.
But his mother Emily Lewis hopes it will help children “have better, more authentic relationships”.
“They’ll make proper plans, like we used to, to meet up with their friends face-to-face and have proper conversations as opposed to these illusive friendships online,” she said.
burs-kaf/pst
‘Downward spiral’: French mother blames social media for teen’s suicide
By AFP
December 10, 2025
Image: — © Digital Journal
Benjamin Massot and Claire Robiche
A French mother whose teenage son took his own life is fighting to hold social media platforms accountable, saying their algorithms pushed suicide-related content that sent the 15-year-old into a “downward spiral”.
Emmanuelle Pouedras told AFP her story as France mulls scaling back social media access for teens, including through a possible ban for children under 15 similar to the one in Australia.
Clement had only just started his second year of secondary school when he jumped off a bridge in the northwestern region of Brittany in 2024.
His mother, a 55-year-old shopkeeper, and her husband, Sebastien, are now seeking to reopen the investigation into his death and hold social media platforms to account.
In September, they filed a complaint against TikTok and Meta among other such companies on charges including incitement to suicide.
The vast majority of the videos on his TikTok “For You” page — where the platform’s algorithm recommends content — were “inciting him to death, telling him he doesn’t matter to anyone”, Clement’s mother told AFP at home in the town of Lorient.
The self-harm content “exacerbated” her son’s distress and sent him into a “downward spiral”, she said.
“TikTok knew he wasn’t doing well, TikTok did nothing, and TikTok is not helping us find the truth,” she said, accusing the platform of failing to act.
Her son was also cyberbullied on the messaging service WhatsApp right up until the last hours before his death, she told AFP.
Pouedras was on Wednesday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in the town of Saint-Malo, also in Brittany, where he was to discuss the challenge that social media and their algorithms pose to democracy.
In a letter she sent to the president on Monday, she described her son as “yet another victim of social media”.
– ‘Incitement’ to death –
Before Clement died, Pouedras said she was wary of the potential harm posed by unfettered access to smartphones and required her two children to keep theirs out of their bedrooms at night.
During the investigation into Clement’s death, police did not examine his phone but she later found messages indicating he had been cyberbullied.
“Have you finished your shitty suicide?” read one text sent in a group chat on the messaging service WhatsApp.
She said she spent months trying to contact social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, to gain access to his data to try to understand what led to his death.
But she received only partial responses, despite platforms being required to give her access to this data, according to France’s data protection authority CNIL, she told AFP.
Students place their phones in lockers after switching them off at a highschool in Lorient – Copyright AFP Loic VENANCE
The family filed a complaint on September 19, their lawyer Pierre Debuisson accusing the platforms of “deliberate obstruction”. He argued that social media sites were the scene of a wave of “multiple incitements to suicide, accessible to minors without any protective filter”.
The regional public prosecutor’s office did not say what action it would take in response to the Pouedras’ complaint.
TikTok told AFP it “strictly prohibits content that depicts or promotes suicide or self-harm” and “removes 98 percent of violating content before it is even reported”.
Searches containing terms such as “suicide” are redirected to “a page with dedicated resources”, it added.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
– World first crackdown –
There is a growing global push to address the impact of social media on young people’s mental health.
In September, a French parliamentary commission probing the psychological effects of TikTok recommended banning social media for children under 15 and adopting a “digital curfew” for 15- to 18-year-olds.
The commission was launched in March, after seven families sued TikTok in late 2024, accusing them of having exposed their children to content that could push them to suicide.
Macron in recent weeks has urged stricter oversight of social media and their algorithms, describing it as the “Wild West”.
In a world first, Australia on Wednesday banned under-16s from social media, declaring it was time to “take back control” from formidable tech giants.
New Zealand and Malaysia are mulling similar restrictions.
YouTube, Meta and other social media giants have lined up to condemn the ban.
By AFP
December 10, 2025
Image: — © Digital Journal
Benjamin Massot and Claire Robiche
A French mother whose teenage son took his own life is fighting to hold social media platforms accountable, saying their algorithms pushed suicide-related content that sent the 15-year-old into a “downward spiral”.
Emmanuelle Pouedras told AFP her story as France mulls scaling back social media access for teens, including through a possible ban for children under 15 similar to the one in Australia.
Clement had only just started his second year of secondary school when he jumped off a bridge in the northwestern region of Brittany in 2024.
His mother, a 55-year-old shopkeeper, and her husband, Sebastien, are now seeking to reopen the investigation into his death and hold social media platforms to account.
In September, they filed a complaint against TikTok and Meta among other such companies on charges including incitement to suicide.
The vast majority of the videos on his TikTok “For You” page — where the platform’s algorithm recommends content — were “inciting him to death, telling him he doesn’t matter to anyone”, Clement’s mother told AFP at home in the town of Lorient.
The self-harm content “exacerbated” her son’s distress and sent him into a “downward spiral”, she said.
“TikTok knew he wasn’t doing well, TikTok did nothing, and TikTok is not helping us find the truth,” she said, accusing the platform of failing to act.
Her son was also cyberbullied on the messaging service WhatsApp right up until the last hours before his death, she told AFP.
Pouedras was on Wednesday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in the town of Saint-Malo, also in Brittany, where he was to discuss the challenge that social media and their algorithms pose to democracy.
In a letter she sent to the president on Monday, she described her son as “yet another victim of social media”.
– ‘Incitement’ to death –
Before Clement died, Pouedras said she was wary of the potential harm posed by unfettered access to smartphones and required her two children to keep theirs out of their bedrooms at night.
During the investigation into Clement’s death, police did not examine his phone but she later found messages indicating he had been cyberbullied.
“Have you finished your shitty suicide?” read one text sent in a group chat on the messaging service WhatsApp.
She said she spent months trying to contact social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, to gain access to his data to try to understand what led to his death.
But she received only partial responses, despite platforms being required to give her access to this data, according to France’s data protection authority CNIL, she told AFP.
Students place their phones in lockers after switching them off at a highschool in Lorient – Copyright AFP Loic VENANCE
The family filed a complaint on September 19, their lawyer Pierre Debuisson accusing the platforms of “deliberate obstruction”. He argued that social media sites were the scene of a wave of “multiple incitements to suicide, accessible to minors without any protective filter”.
The regional public prosecutor’s office did not say what action it would take in response to the Pouedras’ complaint.
TikTok told AFP it “strictly prohibits content that depicts or promotes suicide or self-harm” and “removes 98 percent of violating content before it is even reported”.
Searches containing terms such as “suicide” are redirected to “a page with dedicated resources”, it added.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
– World first crackdown –
There is a growing global push to address the impact of social media on young people’s mental health.
In September, a French parliamentary commission probing the psychological effects of TikTok recommended banning social media for children under 15 and adopting a “digital curfew” for 15- to 18-year-olds.
The commission was launched in March, after seven families sued TikTok in late 2024, accusing them of having exposed their children to content that could push them to suicide.
Macron in recent weeks has urged stricter oversight of social media and their algorithms, describing it as the “Wild West”.
In a world first, Australia on Wednesday banned under-16s from social media, declaring it was time to “take back control” from formidable tech giants.
New Zealand and Malaysia are mulling similar restrictions.
YouTube, Meta and other social media giants have lined up to condemn the ban.
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