According to TechRadar, Australia has added Reddit and Kick to its controversial social media ban targeting users under 16, with the law taking effect December 10, 2025. Platforms face fines up to A$50 million for failing to block underage users, joining Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and X on the restricted list. Communications Minister Anika Wells has warned platforms there’s “no excuse for failure” to implement the law, which requires “reasonable steps” to detect and remove users under 16. The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant confirms this is a “dynamic list” that could expand as technology evolves. Critics argue the age verification methods needed could compromise data privacy for all Australians, not just children.
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The privacy problem nobody’s solving
Here’s the thing about age verification: it’s basically a privacy nightmare waiting to happen. The law requires platforms to use “age-assurance technologies” that could involve biometric analysis or collecting sensitive identity documents. But what happens when you’re asking companies to verify the age of millions of users? You’re creating massive honeypots of personal data that become irresistible targets for hackers.
And let’s be real – when has any tech company shown they can be trusted with our most sensitive information? We’ve seen data breach after data breach, and now we’re talking about collecting even more intimate details. The government says platforms won’t need to verify every single user’s age, but that “reasonable steps” language is so vague it’s practically meaningless. What exactly counts as reasonable? Facial recognition? Scanning driver’s licenses? Nobody seems to have clear answers.
The enforcement headache
Now consider the practical side of this. Australia‘s trying to regulate global platforms in a borderless digital world. Tech-savvy kids have been circumventing restrictions for years using tools like VPNs that mask their location. You think a 15-year-old who’s grown up with technology can’t figure out how to bypass these blocks? Please.
The inclusion of Reddit and Kick specifically highlights how messy this gets. Reddit’s essentially thousands of different communities with varying content moderation standards. Kick’s known for gambling content that’s already problematic. How do you effectively age-gate an entire platform when content varies so wildly? It’s like trying to put a fence around the ocean.
Why the world is watching
This isn’t just an Australian problem – it’s a test case that other governments are absolutely monitoring. According to Channel News Asia, Kick acknowledged Australia is actually a small market for them, but they’ll “continue engaging constructively” because of the precedent this sets. If Australia makes this stick, you can bet other countries will follow with their own versions.
But here’s my question: are we solving the right problem? Commissioner Inman Grant talks about giving children “valuable time to learn and grow, free of the powerful, unseen forces of opaque algorithms.” That’s a noble goal, but is blocking access to entire platforms the solution? Or should we focus on better parental controls, digital literacy education, and holding platforms accountable for their recommendation algorithms specifically?
We’re about to find out whether this heavy-handed approach actually protects kids or just creates new privacy risks for everyone while being easily circumvented. Either way, December 2025 is going to be very interesting to watch.
