The social media platform Reddit has filed a lawsuit in Australia's High Court to overturn the country's new ban on users under the age of 16 accessing social media. This marks the first legal challenge from a major global tech company since the ban took effect two days ago, as per a report by Reuters.

In its court filing, Reddit argues the law infringes on the implied right to free political communication protected by the Australian Constitution. The company contends that preventing young people from engaging in political discourse online is unconstitutional, especially as those users will soon become eligible voters. Reddit also claims it should be exempt because it does not meet the legal definition of a social media platform subject to the ban.

As per the Reuters report on the matter, Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells stated the government would "stand firm to protect young Australians from experiencing harm on social media." Furthermore, Health Minister Mark Butler accused Reddit of acting to protect its profits, comparing the lawsuit to tactics historically used by the tobacco industry against regulation.

The Australian law, the first of its kind globally, requires ten major platforms to block users under 16 or face fines of up to A$49.5 million. Other platforms, including Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, previously stated they would comply by using methods like age estimation technology. Reddit's legal action, backed by its $44 billion market capitalisation, could pave the way for similar challenges from other companies if successful, suggests the report.