Australia's Social Media Ban: Reddit and Kick Join the List
The Australian government's under-16 social media ban is expanding, targeting Reddit and video streaming platform Kick, alongside Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Federal communications minister Anika Wells announced the inclusion of these platforms, which must now take reasonable steps to prevent under-16 users from creating accounts, or face fines of up to $49.5 million. The government's eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, assessed the platforms and decided they should be the starting point for the ban.
The ban is part of a broader effort to protect children from predatory algorithms, harmful content, and toxic popularity metrics. Wells emphasized the importance of using sophisticated technology to safeguard Australian children. The government has not ruled out adding more platforms in the future, as assessments continue and the list is expected to be dynamic.
Reddit, the sole forum discussion-type site included, joins Kick, an Australian video streaming platform similar to Twitch, which was added to the list following a high-profile death of a French user in August. TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta have committed to complying with the ban, while YouTube and X have expressed opposition, with YouTube indicating potential legal action. Discord, despite implementing age assurance for Australian users, was not initially included, but the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner revealed that over 68,000 users were located in Australia.
Inman Grant indicated that 4chan, a notorious image board, would not be included due to its lack of significant presence in Australia. However, other platforms with a significant presence and a large number of young users will be required to comply with age assurance measures by the end of the year and early next year.
