Comparing Platforms: Why Reddit and Kick Were Targeted While Services like Roblox and Discord Were Initially Spared
Written byTimes Magazine
The Australian government has officially added the message board Reddit and the livestreaming service Kick to its list of social media platforms that must legally ban children under the age of 16 from holding accounts. This expansion is part of Australia's landmark Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, a world first piece of legislation designed to protect minors from online harm.
The two platforms join a growing list that already includes giants like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. The law is scheduled to take full effect on December 10, and it imposes a legal obligation on these platforms to take "reasonable steps" to prevent Australian children younger than 16 from creating or maintaining an account. The expansion of the list to include Reddit and Kick highlights the government's view that the ban must be a "dynamic list" that evolves with new technologies and the changing online habits of young people.
A key element of the legislation is the severe financial penalties for non compliance. Platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude under 16 users could face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars (approximately $33 million USD). This significant penalty places the onus of age restriction and enforcement squarely on the social media companies themselves, rather than on parents or children. There are no penalties for children or parents who attempt to circumvent the ban.
The rationale behind the ban, as championed by Communications Minister Anika Wells and the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, is to protect young users from the negative impacts of social media design, such as predatory algorithms, exposure to harmful content, and the pressure of toxic popularity metrics. By raising the minimum age from the current standard of 13 to 16, authorities aim to give young people more time to develop critical thinking, digital literacy, and impulse control before engaging fully with these platforms.
The eSafety Commissioner, who is responsible for enforcing the ban, has stated that the list of age restricted platforms is not fixed and will continue to be reviewed, with other services like Discord and gaming platform Roblox currently being assessed. Critics of the legislation, however, have raised concerns about the potential impact on user privacy due to age verification methods, the feasibility of full enforcement, and the risk of pushing young people toward less regulated corners of the internet. Despite this opposition, major platforms like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads) and TikTok have indicated they will comply with the new requirements.
