Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 took effect on Monday, requiring designated platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under-16s from having accounts.

The first-of-its-kind legislation has made international headlines as governments around the world face challenges around online safety.

However, Reddit says the law has “the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors”, which it is now challenging in the High Court.

In a statement, the US-owned platform said it believes there are “more effective ways for the Australian government to accomplish our shared goal of protecting youth” and that the law “carries some serious privacy and political expression issues for everyone on the internet”.

It also objects to its designation as a social media platform under the law, saying it is “a forum primarily for adults and we don’t have the traditional social media features the government has taken issue with”.

“Despite the best intentions, this law is missing the mark on actually protecting young people online,” it said.

“So, while we will comply with this law, we have a responsibility to share our perspective and see that it is reviewed by the courts.”