Reddit has appealed to the country's High Court to overturn Australia's ban on social media for under-16s.
The company says the ban is "an interference with freedom of political debate." According to Reuters, Reddit says in its lawsuit that the ban violates the country's constitution and violates citizens' right to free political communication.
Reddit also argues that even if the court finds the law legitimate, the platform should be removed from the list of banned sites because the company claims it does not fall within the definition of a "social network" in the law.
This is the second lawsuit against the controversial ban - the first was filed by two teenagers. However, it is noteworthy that this is the first time that a large company with a capitalization of $ 44 billion has taken legal action against the law.
Australian officials, however, defend the ban. Government spokesman Wells said that the cabinet is "on the side of Australian parents and children, not platforms" and is determined to protect young people from the harm of social networks. Health Minister Mark Butler criticized Reddit’s stance, likening the company’s behavior to tobacco companies’ fight against regulation and saying the government would “fight every step of the way.”
The ban came into effect on December 10. Platforms that fail to comply face fines of up to A$49.5 million (about $33 million).
