10th of December: Reddit Accounts Owned by Under 16s Will Be Suspended

What is changing on 10 December?

In a post on r/RedditSafety, Reddit said it is rolling out new age-assurance measures in Australia to comply with the country’s new social media minimum age law. From 10 December, the platform will start predicting whether an Australian user may be under 16 and ask them to verify they are old enough to use Reddit.

If the system predicts that an account holder is under 16 and they cannot prove otherwise, their account will be suspended. Reddit stresses that people in Australia will still be able to browse Reddit without signing in, but they will no longer be allowed to hold a logged-in account if they are below the legal age threshold.

According to Reddit’s safety update, the key changes for Australian users include:

• Only users aged 16 and over can have Reddit accounts in Australia.
• New Australian sign-ups will be asked to provide their date of birth at registration.
• Existing Australian accounts will be run through an age prediction model to estimate whether the user is over or under 16.
• Accounts predicted to be over 13 but under 16 will be suspended, in line with the new law.
• Teen users under 18 worldwide will see a more locked-down version of Reddit, including stricter chat settings, no sensitive ads and no access to NSFW or mature content.

Reddit says it disagrees with the law – but must comply

In its announcement, Reddit makes it clear it is not entirely happy with the Australian legislation. The company says it is concerned that the law undermines privacy and free expression by putting identity tests on internet use. Reddit also argues that applying the law to a largely pseudonymous, text-based forum used mainly by adults is both arbitrary and legally questionable, especially when other major platforms are exempt.

At the same time, the company is keen to emphasise that it “cares deeply about the safety” of younger users and is introducing a new privacy-preserving age prediction model to reduce the amount of sensitive information it has to collect directly.

“Kids will always find a way”: what Reddit users are saying

The tone in the comments under the safety post – and in related threads such as the viral “10th of December: Reddit accounts owned by under 16s will be suspended” post on r/australia – is far from calm. Thousands of users have weighed in, raising questions about enforcement, VPNs, political motives and what happens when a suspended teen eventually turns 16.

Age restrictions vs reality

One of the most common reactions is simple scepticism. Redditors point out that teenagers have been dodging age limits for decades – using older siblings’ IDs, lying about their birthday on signup forms or switching to platforms that are harder to police. Several users argue that while the law might make it harder for younger teens to hold Reddit accounts, it will not stop them from browsing content or moving to less regulated corners of the internet.

Others note that tools like VPNs, shared devices and guest browsing will continue to be loopholes, even if the government and platforms try to crack down on them. “You can limit accounts,” one commenter suggests, “but you’ll never completely remove tech-savvy teenagers from the internet.”

Is this really about kids – or about anonymity?

A more political thread running through the comments suggests the real target is not teenagers, but online anonymity. Some Redditors compare the new rules to past “wars on drugs” or crime crackdowns that, in their view, have done little to reduce harm but have given governments more power to monitor citizens.

Several users argue that by forcing platforms to guess people’s ages and demand verification, the law nudges Australia toward a more heavily surveilled internet. “Protecting children” becomes the slogan, they argue, while the long-term consequence is making it harder to speak anonymously about politics, work, identity or mental health.

Anger at the way the law was designed

Some Australians are also furious about how the policy was put together. In detailed comments, people complain that the legislation was rushed through parliament, relies on questionable research and sets “impossible standards” for platforms to meet. A few users call out the role of advisors and lobbyists, accusing them of cherry-picking evidence and ignoring technology experts.

There is also frustration that not all platforms are being treated equally. Redditors say it feels arbitrary that a text-based forum is being forced into strict compliance while other sites popular with teenagers appear to have more flexibility or exemptions.

What happens when suspended teens turn 16?

One very practical question keeps popping up: what happens to a suspended 13–15-year-old’s account when they eventually turn 16? Will their posts and comments be restored automatically, or will they have to appeal and prove their age?

In the thread, users note that Reddit’s age prediction model is designed only to decide “over 16” or “under 16” – it does not know someone’s exact birthday. That means there is no obvious automatic date when a suspended account should be reinstated. Some people worry that years of posts, saved content and private messages could effectively be locked away unless Reddit creates a clear restoration process.

Safety, freedom and the next phase of online regulation

The clash over Reddit’s under-16 suspensions sums up a global dilemma that is only going to intensify: how do you protect minors online without turning the internet into a permanent ID checkpoint?

Supporters of tougher age rules say social media can expose children to bullying, grooming, self-harm content and targeted advertising long before they are emotionally ready for it. Critics counter that blanket bans and intrusive verification schemes risk doing more harm than good, especially when they push young people towards platforms with weaker safeguards.

Australia is now emerging as one of the most aggressive regulators in this space. What happens to Reddit users on 10 December will be watched closely by tech companies, privacy advocates and other governments that are considering similar minimum age laws.

How Australian Reddit users can prepare

For teens and parents in Australia, the most important thing is to understand what the new rules actually mean in practice:

• If you are under 16 and have a Reddit account, be prepared for your account to be challenged or suspended under the new age checks.
• Reddit says users predicted to be under 16 will have an opportunity to appeal and verify their age, so keep an eye on your notifications and emails.
• Even without an account, you will still be able to read public Reddit threads in your browser.
• Parents should talk openly with teens about why they use Reddit, what communities they follow and what safer alternatives exist if their account is removed.

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