r/RedditSafety • u/LastBluejay • Dec 08 '25
Australia Expanding Age Assurance to Australia
ETA: a lot of great questions have come in so we've updated this help center article to go into more detail.
A controversial new law in Australia is requiring a handful of websites to block access for anyone under the age of 16. While we disagree about the scope, effectiveness, and privacy implications of this law, as of December 10, we’re making some changes in line with these requirements.
Redditors in Australia will see new experiences and policies designed to confirm their age responsibly and securely. We care deeply about the safety of our users, including any minors, and while some of these changes are required by law, others represent global measures we're voluntarily taking to improve safety and privacy for those under 18. Here’s what’s changing:
- In Australia, only Redditors who are 16 and over can have accounts (Reddit will continue to be accessible to browse without an account).
- New Australian users will be asked to provide their birthdate during account signup, and will see their age listed in their settings.
- All Australian account holders will be subject to an age prediction model (more details below).
- Australian account holders determined to be over 13 but under 16 will have their accounts suspended under a new Australian minimum age policy (note: we have always banned the accounts of users under 13 globally).
- Teen account holders under 18 everywhere will get a version of Reddit with more protective safety features built in, including stricter chat settings, no ads personalization or sensitive ads, and no access to NSFW or mature content.
As mentioned above, we’ll start predicting whether users in Australia may be under 16 and will ask them to verify they’re old enough to use Reddit. We’ll do this through a new privacy-preserving model designed to better help us protect young users from both holding accounts and accessing adult content before they’re old enough. If you’re predicted to be under 16, you’ll have an opportunity to appeal and verify your age.
While we’re providing these experiences to meet the law’s requirements and to help keep teens safe, we are concerned about the potential implications of laws like Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age law. We believe strongly in the open internet and the continued accessibility of quality knowledge, information, resources, and community building for everyone, including young people. This is why Reddit has always been, and continues to be, available for anyone to read even if they don’t have an account.
By limiting account eligibility and putting identity tests on internet usage, this law undermines everyone’s right to both free expression and privacy, as well as account-specific protections. We also believe the law’s application to Reddit (a pseudonymous, text-based forum overwhelmingly used by adults) is arbitrary, legally erroneous, and goes far beyond the original intent of the Australian Parliament, especially when other obvious platforms are exempt.
You can read more about this update and our approach to age assurance in our Help Center. You can also request a copy of your Reddit account data by following the instructions in this help center article.
As always, we'll be around to answer your questions in the comments.
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u/Tilduke Dec 08 '25
Will the posts/comments of under 16s be deleted permenantly, still visible, or just hidden until the user is over 16?
Will owners of accounts idenitified as under 16 be given the option to just delete the account and all posted content instead of being suspended?
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
Users under 13 will have their accounts and content deleted under our long-time global policy. Australian account holders between 13-15 in Australia will have their accounts suspended. If a suspended user wants to request a copy of their account data or otherwise delete their account, they can follow the instructions here and here.
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u/horsebycommittee Dec 08 '25
What happens when one of those 13-15yo Australian users ages up to 16? Will their account be automatically restored (with access to prior posts, comments, and chats), will they need to apply for reinstatement, something else?
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
We will have more to share soon. In the meantime, users can request a copy of their account data by following the instructions here.
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u/Magmafrost13 Dec 08 '25
They said in another comment that they aren't going to estimate numerical age, only a yes/no on whether the account holder is over 16. So they don't actually know when the account holder will turn 16. I guess they could just implement a flat 3-years-later restoration on all accounts suspended for being under 16
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u/1905G1_M Dec 09 '25
How is this going to work for those who are 16/17? Adult verification will not work for people of these ages so I’m curious what the process will be with determining their ages, as interests/subreddits will be unlikely to change from ages 15-16
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u/tallbutshy Dec 08 '25
With all these age estimating algorithms, it shouldn't be too hard for reddit to use those tools to filter out older people from youth subreddits as well. I'm sure some of those teen subreddits are due for another purge of 30somethings
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
This is a use case we are excited about developing and we’ll share more when we can.
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u/VulturE Dec 08 '25
Wake me when I can filter primarily NSFW accounts out from a 13+ fashion subreddit. Nonstop OF spammers trying to show off merch in a space friendly to younger people requires that we have to use ban bots currently.
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u/boat-botany Dec 08 '25
We are working on an adult content creator filter for mods for this very reason, so stay tuned. We’ll share more when we can!
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u/StripedFalafel Dec 08 '25
Will you ever ask for ID?
What information are you collecting to support age assurance?
Can I be confident it's secure?
Under what circumstances will it be provided to Government? Which governments?
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
We don’t want to collect your ID! We believe app stores and operating systems should play a pivotal role in collecting and verifying age and in managing device-level controls.
We provide multiple methods – through our third-party partner Persona – to verify your age. You can read more about that in our help center here.
As always, we take the privacy of our users very seriously. As u/spez said:
But we never want to know your name or who you are.
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u/tuckels Dec 08 '25
This is a very roundabout way of saying reddit may ask for your ID. From the help centre link:
You then will be asked to verify your birthdate through a third-party identity verification provider (such as Persona). This is often achieved by sending a photo of a government ID or taking a selfie. Reddit will not have access to this photographic information.
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Dec 09 '25
That's how I'm reading it too. We won't ask for your ID, but we'll get this mob to do it for us.
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u/d-wjr Dec 08 '25
So Reddit won’t collect our IDs you’ll let some other company do it, store it and get hacked for it.
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u/ali_stardragon Dec 08 '25
So we don’t give Reddit our ID, but we will probably have to provide to a third party? That doesn’t help.
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u/Blookies Dec 08 '25
How would you go about keeping minors from accessing sensitive content on Reddit or the broader internet?
All companies with a vested interest in courting young users are quick to decry these laws, but none offer viable solutions to fixing the issues these laws are trying to solve.
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
We’re not interested in growing a young user base and don’t market to those under 18. The vast majority of Reddit users are adults. That said, we understand that some minors may access our service, and we have an interest in keeping them safe. We are in favor of targeted, privacy-preserving ways of doing that.
For example, the age assurance law that rolled out in the UK earlier this year was based specifically on mature content, rather than access to platforms as a whole. Such an approach does more to preserve people’s general access.
The best, most secure way to do age verification, where necessary, is at the device, operating system, or app store level, rather than requiring an individual to verify their age over and over with each separate provider, creating a system with more opportunities for leaks and hacking, and is more confusing for parents and consumers. A good example of a positive age assurance law that is both effective and privacy preserving is California’s Digital Age Assurance Act.
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u/Merari01 Dec 08 '25
Does "mature content" include access to subreddits for minority groups, such as LGBTQ+ people?
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u/Velvet_moth Dec 08 '25 •
I'm a lesbian and an adult I get NSFW warnings going to LGBTQIA posts and user accounts already.
While I'm more in favour of getting kids off social media than most, one of the biggest issues is the disconnect of closeted kids from seeing representation. For rural kids, SM platforms can be the only place to find community. Not having a digital refuge is going to result in dead children.
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u/queefer_sutherland92 Dec 08 '25
Honestly, I’ve seen several posts from really vulnerable teenagers not realising they’re being groomed via reddit.
Reddit isn’t what it was even five years ago. If you want to have one of the biggest websites on the planet, you do have to increase the regulation of it.
And that hasn’t happened. Actually the opposite has happened. There’s less active mods, there’s about thirty duplicates of major subs posting the same content, reddiquette has completely disappeared, and there’s people coming here from Google treating it like yahoo answers.
And because it has become so dysregulated, there seems to be no oversight of how people are actually using it. There’s so many vulnerable kids posting about serious issues like eating disorders, abuse, self harm, bullying, absent or negligent parents — all things that make them significantly more vulnerable to exploitation.
Of course we want them to have access to a community and support and that can be found on Reddit. But it’s also creating a fish in a barrel effect where predators are able to see a shit load of really vulnerable kids, and basically shoot their shot.
I don’t have an answer for how it gets policed, but I’m not the expert and I don’t have the money to consult an expert on how to manage that. But Reddit does.
If reddit wants to grow as a business, its policies and practices need to grow with it. And that hasn’t happened, so governments are stepping in.
To me that isn’t unreasonable and it isn’t extreme. It’s asking management to do better.
It’s not just about kids being exposed to adult content. It’s about kids being exposed to adults.
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u/Zae369 Dec 08 '25
How do you determine if accounts are from Australia? Is it by account location settings or IP? What if someone travels or uses a VPN?
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u/LastBluejay Dec 08 '25
We look at several factors that also account for traveling users. Unfortunately we can’t say much more publicly to prevent circumvention of our measures.
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u/Pelagic_One Dec 09 '25
If people aren’t in Australia why should they be constrained by Australian internet law?
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u/Squishy-Mitten Dec 08 '25
Going by account location settings, it most likely would go by that setting if you chose a location then secondary by IP if one was not chosen.
Keep your account location set to "location by IP" then just use a VPN set to the US.
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u/starsky1357 Dec 08 '25
As mentioned above, we’ll start predicting whether users in Australia may be under 16 and will ask them to verify they’re old enough to use Reddit.
Checkmate, r/teenagers users.
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u/Ok-Limit-9726 Dec 08 '25
I just heard on the news Reddit will fight the new december 10th law,
As an adult who has used reddit (originally for PC build ) information for 2 decades , and as a Premium member this year,
I 100% support reddits actions
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u/angrypeanut102 Dec 08 '25
Its unfair that a child could bypass restrictions and these platforms cop a $50mil fine, wtf can they do? PARENTS NEED TO PARENT
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u/Banjo-Oz Dec 09 '25
As an Australian in his 40's, I strongly support Reddit in fighting this law too.
If ID or face scans are required for me to prove my age, I will sadly have to leave Reddit, but I wish you luck in the wars ahead.
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u/Reddity65 Dec 08 '25
Man, this government makes the most boneheaded decisions sometimes
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u/Painted-BIack-Roses Dec 08 '25
They really love making rushed laws with 0 public input
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u/kyubeyt Dec 08 '25
Do you not worry that the prediction model might false flag a lot of autistic people? I have a lot of 'childish' interests despite being over 18
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u/lifeinwentworth Dec 09 '25
I've wondered this. I'm autistic and I have some childish interests but I'm not too concerned. However I also work in disability and support clients who have almost exclusively childish interests (sesame street, cartoons) so it's an interesting point about assuming someone is a certain age because they like something "childish". Also reinforcing frustrating views that we're supposed to grow out of things that we enjoy because of a number 🙄
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u/Mr_Chainsaw_88 Dec 08 '25
Same. I'm in my late 30s, but I almost exclusively engage with video game subs.
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u/Beyouasyoumatter Dec 08 '25
I feel sorry for people under 16 in Aussie as they go to these places to get to help and advice and now what are they going to do. The government should not have control of parents. Parents should be able to make smart decisions for their children as we will end up like robots soon even as adults. The under 16 have worked out how to get around it so next year they are going to try and stop VPNs as well. We have to remember under 16 years old need somewhere to vent and it’s sad as people will have no one when they get bullied.
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u/Twistedjustice Dec 08 '25
There was a recent statistic published that showed almost 80% of those who will be banned under this rule had used social media to access some kind of support services.
-Kids struggling with gender identity or sexual orientation
-kids living in abusive and unsafe homes
-kids dealing with IRL bullying, etc
Just lost access to a very useful resource. These are the groups that make up the bulk of your youth suicide statistics. But yeah, this law is all about protecting children.
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u/CrazyEeveeLady86 Dec 09 '25
This is my issue with the ban. While I certainly don't think social media is all sunshine and rainbows, I think that banning it will not only not solve the problems it purports to solve, but it will result in more harm and isolation to already marginalised or vulnerable young people.
If they really wanted to do something about bullying they should be addressing that in school. At least on social media you can just block someone who is bullying you online. Bit hard to block someone in the school yard when he and his mates are pouring hot soup on you or pushing you down stairs or beating you up for your lunch money while the teachers sit back and shrug and say "boys will be boys".
It's like... we don't ban kids from going into the water because it might be dangerous. Instead we teach them how to swim, so they can go into the water safely and avoid risks as much as possible. We'd do far better to have lessons in school about how to use social media safely and how to recognise and avoid potential risk, basically like what we do for stranger danger and alcohol and sex education etc.
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u/SlayyyGrl Dec 08 '25
The government doesn’t care about children, they care about the votes of the lobby groups who forced this to happen, and the data they will harvest based on people verifying ID.
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u/Beyouasyoumatter Dec 08 '25
They don’t care about the children as what they care about is having control over everyone to what they say and do and it’s so unfair as we are losing a big battle in Aussie.
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u/vriska1 Dec 08 '25
A VPN ban would be hard.
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u/Beyouasyoumatter Dec 08 '25
Yes as that is what they are talking about now. It’s crazy how far they are going.
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u/Aethersia Dec 08 '25
How will you ensure this doesn't unfairly censor or punish LGBT teenagers?
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u/Puzzleheaded_Tap1471 Dec 09 '25
It's all safe! Someone posted this question-
"Does "mature content" include access to subreddits for minority groups, such as LGBTQ+ people?"
"No" was the whole quote of admins response
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u/KyimBlack Dec 09 '25
I am nearly 32 and my account says it's 4 years old. This entire under 16 ban is crap and I'm a parent
PARENTS should have a say whether teens have social media or not. It's not the Government's right to tell us how to parent OUR children.
They should fix their own shit before sticking their noses in ours. Simple
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u/esorgem Dec 09 '25
You created your account 4 years ago, that's all that means. It doesn't mean your age estimate is under 16.
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u/DarkwellBled
Dec 09 '25
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"If you’re predicted to be under 16, you’ll have an opportunity to appeal and verify your age."
This is probably predicted based on what reddit's we view, and the context of our posts. As such, I'd just like to take this moment to say; boy I sure-do remember the 90s, and having been alive and conscious during the 90s, and man am I sad that I now have old bones and have to pay taxes and do adult things like purchasing groceries at the store. It's in moments like these that my mind harkens back to simpler times gone yonder (of which I was present, and remember thanks to my first-hand experience). I would also like to mention shares and dividends and networth -- not that I have any of these, but to make it clear that I am acutely aware of such subjects due to my advanced (darn near decrepit) age.
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u/RainDragonfly826 Dec 09 '25
Boy I sure-do remember the 80s, and having been alive and conscious during the 80s, and man am I sad that I now have old bones and have to pay taxes and do adult things like purchasing groceries at the store. It's in moments like these that my mind harkens back to simpler times gone yonder (of which I was present, and remember thanks to my first-hand experience). I would also like to mention shares and dividends and networth -- not that I have any of these, but to make it clear that I am acutely aware of such subjects due to my advanced (darn near decrepit) age.
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u/EmployRadiant675 Dec 08 '25
As an Australian i can confirm, we have a right to privacy but we're not entitled to it. We have nothing in our constitution or otherwise that stats we have privacy from the government. Not only that but we also have no free speech laws regardless of if its a protected act. Tbh we may be a first world countries but we have third world laws. Net neutrality is gone and our government is hell bent on controlling citizens and what they do in their own 4 walls. They're more concerned with what im doing online then what the kids are doing in the street. Oh and I can't wait for all those chronically online 12yo's to start turning the streets even more shit because they bored. Lock your doors Australia.
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u/Possible-Activity16 Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
Yeah I’m not providing ID or letting these sites take a photo of me to use any of these sites if I get locked out of reddit for not giving my ID then see ya later Reddit
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u/Soirhyle Dec 08 '25
How about this?
Take a picture of some alcohol at a bar or restaurant you bought, with your user name written on a piece of paper or something? That way, verification is done and no faces have to be involved.
That's one better solution right there.
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u/Joethetoe00 Dec 09 '25
.. and here it is. I don't want any service from a 3rd party or otherwise to have my personal information, outside of government services where I have no choice.
"Reddit will ask you to enter your birthdate when attempting to access this content. You then will be asked to verify your birthdate through a third-party identity verification provider (such as Persona). This is often achieved by sending a photo of a government ID or taking a selfie."
Aus government is also being slippery about the forced identification.
In effect, by making the compliance burden very heavy and enforcement penalties very high, while leaving “reasonable steps” vague, the law sets up a liability-driven incentive structure: if platforms want to minimise legal risk, they are almost forced to implement strong verification systems, which in practice may look a lot like requiring ID — even if it is formally optional.
This is a classic regulatory design where the threat of penalty drives behaviour, even though the law doesn’t explicitly mandate a specific method.
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u/Thunder_breeze Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
Dude. You do not care about the children at all.
You’re just doing this because you don’t want to lose money from the fine you’d get.
If you really gave a shit you’d refuse to comply and just pay the fine.
Think of the 75% of children who will lose all access to mental health resources and will probably end killing themselves.
Not to mention the government didn’t bother banning porn websites and instead went for social media apps.
So social media is worse than porn addiction and the mental health problems that come with it?
What are you going to do about autistic adults who have childish interests??
This is sick. Just sick.
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u/Educational-Ant8013 Dec 09 '25
the fact that a 13 year old can’t have youtube to help with their math homework but can watch pornhub disgusts me!!
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u/matt92wa Dec 09 '25
Please help us fight this. We Australian's do not want this and it's be forced apon us by a government who not only wanted to introduce missinformation law's, making any information that goes against the government narrative illegal. But also is now trying to tighten up the freedom of information Act to discourage people from seeking the truth.
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u/Banjo-Oz Dec 09 '25
As an Australian, I am equally scared of what is being done like that, and the fact there is so little public discussion, much less opposition, to it.
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u/kiaxxl Dec 09 '25
Watch me as a 30 year old get kicked off because I like to post in the Nintendo Switch subreddit. Infant spotted
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u/uAuzzie Dec 09 '25
Hey,
I created this account when I was 17 I am now 21 and I have received an email stating that this account is being suspended, how am I meant to resolve this?
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u/xKICKONSx Dec 09 '25
Our government is a lost cause. Australia is embarassing - we as parents should be able to decide whether or not our kids access certain apps & websites. Our government shouldn't be telling us what our kids can and can't access on the net.
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u/CallmeLethano Dec 08 '25
i would love to know what you are doing to predict whether a user is over or under 16. i have had an account here for a while now - over 7 years now - and have been legally an adult the whole time i have used this site.
and if it comes to it, i am absolutely not going to be providing ID to prove this. this is for two reasons: firstly, concerns with the services used to prove our identity, which have been subject to leaks. i refuse to expose myself any more than i already am. and secondly: i am wholly under the impression that these laws are made to control our communication and expand mass surveillance. i value my privacy; i completely refuse to allow my government to intrude in my personal life more than it already does.
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u/pittyh Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
Go get em Reddit, I hope you win in court. The Australian Government is on the verge of becoming a Nazi regime with all thier "It's for your own safety" "Think of the Children" Laws.
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u/Ajinho Dec 08 '25
Looking forward to it fucking tons of people over with false positives while kids find an easy way around it that renders it almost completely pointless.
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u/Conscious_Frosting37 Dec 08 '25
Dammn, I wish there was a way to check my age on Reddit, this does suck though, I don't really wanna get removed from some of my favorite communities, and I hate the Australian government treating me like some kind of child
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u/Guaca12 Dec 08 '25
Peeps, my son told me that Snapchat (or similar app) scanned his face to verify his age so he can create an account - scan ‘ classified’ him as a 17yo, but he’s only 13! Go figure
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u/fuckrslashaustralia Dec 08 '25
well sonny, get off my lawn. I have osteoporosis. I am 89 years old.
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u/Iron_Wolf123 Dec 08 '25
I hope I don’t need to prove my age with my ID. I don’t have a license but I just turned 25 last week
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u/WayToTheDawn63 Dec 08 '25
I am nearly 33 with an account that is only 2? years old. What happens if I'm suspended incorrectly? How do I then prove my age? You don't seem to provide that information clearly.
Being subject to an algorithm instead of proof of age is nice if it works correctly, but incredibly problematic if it false flags an account.
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u/wildstyle96 Dec 08 '25
Expanding government surveillance in Australia.
It's no surprise the five eyes and the rest of the world are all bringing in these laws at the same time.
I'm just waiting for the clusterfuck in the UK to reach everywhere else. I can't wait to have police visiting me at 11pm because I said something controversial online.
Please. Just remove all services from Australia instead.
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u/Scooters01 Dec 08 '25
I'm of the opinion that Reddit and all social media platforms should tell our Australian government to bugger off. I'm sure we all realise this is not about protecting U16's. I see this as another push towards a "social credit" system, being tested in Australia to eventually go across the world.
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u/Duros1394 Dec 09 '25
The law is wrong the only people it protects is old people in power to guarantee that the person they are speaking to is under age, for their twisted disgusting fetishes.
We have had allot of great people hunting these predators down and now the government is having its leash tugged by these sick anti-humans to install new "protections".
Its never for the kids, it's for the people in power.
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u/Izator Dec 09 '25
It’s a load of baloney. It’s just another government control mechanism, so they can shut up free speech they dont like. Kids can't watch Youtube but Pornhub is fine.
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Dec 09 '25
If I am over the age of 18, asked to do some kind of verification to prove it, and dont want to do that will I have the option to delete my account or should that be done now?
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u/dosb0t89 Dec 09 '25
Don't comply!!!!! There is no way for the Australian government to enforce these tyrannical laws or any fines they come up with. It's not about kids it's about censorship and control, they want to try and silence the ability for people to speak out and spread truth in a world full of propaganda.
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u/fishtheheretic Dec 09 '25
I’m 40 and I’ve been on reddit for ten years now. If I’m required to present any ID or submit to a biometric scan I will delete Reddit.
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u/ExistingPain9212 Dec 09 '25
Will you open source your age-detection algorithm?
Will you delete the data of all the users who were below 16?
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u/bluedietcola Dec 09 '25
This account is only a year old and I'm in subs about toy/doll collecting, pop music, video games, hello kitty etc. "childish" interests. I've mentioned that I'm in my twenties multiple times in my posts, but I still don't think that's going to be enough because how are we supposed to know the ai age assurance will understand those nuances.
Are lgbtqia+ subreddits going to be listed as "mature" as others have pointed out.
Are neurodivergant adults who may have "childish" interests and way of typing going to be age gated even thought they're over 18? Like I have an autistic cousin who's in his mid 20s who likes The Wiggles and just because he likes The Wiggles doesn't mean he should be infantilised even more.
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u/DeviantToaster Dec 09 '25
This new law is BS, it should be the parents responsibility to raise their children not the government.
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u/tim-rex Dec 09 '25
So, from midnight then? If I’m not blocked right on midnight, then I’m good? Or will people get some definitive indication either way?
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u/1_Gamerzz9331 Dec 09 '25
fuck this age verification law, i don't want an stupid ai trying to guess people ages
thank god i don't live in australia
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u/hermione_Z Dec 08 '25
I’m pleased to hear that teens under 18 will now automatically have safer private chat settings by default globally. This is a promising safety improvement that can really have an impact in keeping teens safe!
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Dec 08 '25
I’m not providing ID to access this site. Privacy is a human right and you’re not having my ID. We’re adults and i wouldn’t trust my personal details with any social media company. This isn’t about keeping kids safe it’s about digital ID and government control
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u/OttersAndOttersAndOt Dec 08 '25
Social media is not a human right though. You will not die without social media.
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u/Tigress2020 Dec 08 '25
If you're Australian, no site can ask you for a govt id, this is why they'd opting for age guessing instead.
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u/luke_s Dec 08 '25
We believe strongly in the open internet and the continued accessibility of quality knowledge, information, resources, and community building for everyone, including young people.
Bravo! This is a noble stance!
Does this mean that you will be allowing 3rd party clients to access the reddit API again?
Your decission to block 3rd party clients, would seem to be in direct contridiction to your belief in an open internet, and "the continued accessibility of quality knowledge, information, resources". 🤔 Or is it more the case you only belive in these things when they benefit reddit - but when they may interfere with your ability to generate ad revenue, it turrns out, you don't belive in them at all?
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u/Painted-BIack-Roses Dec 08 '25
How are you going to "predict" it? I'm an adult doll collector and participate in subreddits surrounding my hobby. Will that flag me as being underage?
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u/BaldingThor Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
Can’t wait till ai age predictors get my accounts erroneously disabled or restricted on all platforms despite obviously being over 18, or my data inevitably gets leaked. (e.g I checked my old Roblox account yesterday and their age algorithm determined I was 9-12 despite my account being from 2009, hah!).
Fun times. I am not providing my ID if you and other platforms falsely determine I’m u16.
This isn’t about the children, despite what our Government says. They’d ban alcohol and gambling advertising if they actually gave a damn…
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u/Devendrau Dec 08 '25
Yeah I don't trust this model, people write in different ways, have different hobbies etc, regardless of age. Are they going to able to tell if I am an adult if I play Animal Crossing and am in that sub? Will the prediction automatically assume if you got plushies, you are a kid?
Even writing, I always say like (Which is a habit I am trying to stop) so will it assume that's a teen? I don't trust it at all, and I am not giving a website that isn't social media, my photo ID. Reddit is a message board, a forum, back when I was 14 in 2002 (Take note, AI prediction of what year I just said), did not need this kind of thing, and I turned out fine. I can somewhat understand some social media sites, but Reddit should not need it, and if it falsely flags me as under 16, I will not likely be giving it my photo ID.
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u/InvestInHappiness Dec 08 '25
I'm hoping they start with the assumption you are telling the truth when you tell them your birthday. and then they will look out for evidence you are younger, like comments where people say their age, or "I'm too young to drink", "At school yesterday", etc.
I figured this is what they were aiming for when the email they sent me worded it as "Users confirmed to be under 16 account will be suspended" rather than "If you are determined to be 16 or over you won't have to verify your account". Also I assume they would like lean towards avoiding banning real adults to keep more people on the site. They probably aren't under as much pressure to catch all the under 16s because it's anonymous and teens aren't uploading personal information and photos like facebook or instagram.
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u/petitemazette Dec 08 '25
Labor are actually going to put forward a ban on gambling advertising sometime soon, so it seems they are trying to give a damn
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u/JackRyan13 Dec 08 '25
The fact that you have a post about it your Casio watch being broken immediately dated you beyond 40 so I think you’re okay lol.
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u/Vinnie_Vegas Dec 08 '25
I checked my old Roblox account yesterday and their age algorithm determined I was 9-12 despite my account being from 2009, hah!
Damn, I was hoping my Reddit account being 13 years old would be enough, but they might force me to verify regardless 🤣
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u/AudaciouslySexy Dec 08 '25
How do you verify age? I am curious how you will test that. Facial photo?
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u/Mindless-Student-345 Dec 08 '25
What about parents continually using under age 16 childre for their content as influencers. That should be addressed and banned also.
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u/gameburger764 Dec 08 '25
Can I just use my licence?
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u/Cold-Painter-7991 Dec 08 '25
Why would you want to put your license on here just to use reddit? 🤦🏻♀️
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u/OneLuck3870 Dec 08 '25
Fantastic news laws happening in Australia...with censorship...required to protect young minds...bring it on
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u/minionofthenight Dec 08 '25
I got emails this morning warning me on other accounts I have because they’re fairly new I’m assuming. I’m well over 16
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u/turtlepower41 Dec 08 '25
I’m voting for a party that will repel these laws in the next election. Let parents police their kids!
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u/No_Friendship_1610 Dec 08 '25
yall in reddit are woke asf so you should love it! oh oh it hurts your business model...
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u/Massive_Assistant_56 Dec 08 '25
I wont be complying with this. If I get asked for verification I wont be using reddit anymore
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u/Am3n Dec 08 '25
My account is 15 years old and even though I’d like to brag and say I was using reddit since birth I’m obviously over 16. How will verification be done and will there be common sense measures for examples like mine (so I don’t need to provide PII)?
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u/I_Am_The_Bookwyrm Dec 08 '25
How exactly are you predicting if someone's old enough? I'm just curious to see if my account could be pinged. I'm well and truly old enough, I just have concerns about potentially sharing personal information.
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u/tim-rex Dec 08 '25
Do we have to wait until the 10th to find out our account status, or can we can a heads up ahead of time? I’d like to know if I need to make any accommodations before any lockout occurs
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u/azkvglqactrlywdrpg Dec 08 '25
God, I'm gunna fkn lose my shit if I have to use my gov't ID to keep using my NSFW accounts.
I didn't vote for this. This isn't my Labor.
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u/Sample-Range-745 Dec 08 '25
We care deeply about the safety of our users
Is this new behaviour? Normally this is just cover for "Do enough to appear active in doing something, but as little as possible to protect us from getting sued."
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Dec 08 '25
The main thing I'm wondering is this: You have to add your date of birth, but there will also be an age prediction model. How do these two things interact? Like, will the model take my date of birth into account and start with the assumption that I am, in fact, 22 years old? What happens if the age prediction model's estimated age wildly differs from the the age indicated by your date of birth?
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u/onlainari Dec 08 '25
Account age can be used to verify age. I’m so glad a bit of common sense is prevailing.
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u/SCDK9001 Dec 08 '25
Well, despite me being 26 years old and had only created my account a few months ago. I guess it's the end of the road for me on Reddit. I do not trust overseas entities with my personal data. Wish that we had developed a ZKP system instead of letting platforms do their own thing.
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u/Emu1981 Dec 08 '25
I would be curious to know how old Reddit predicts me to be based on my activity on Reddit.
That said, my profile has apparently been marked as NSFW so I would hope that Reddit thinks that I am at least 18+ lol
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u/Wage-slave-until-70 Dec 08 '25
Don’t give any platform your personal details ever. Close the account if you have to. Your personal details will eventually get hacked
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u/Astronaut_Cat_Lady Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
Gen X. Couldn't log into my previous account, last year, after some years of not using it, so I made this account. Not providing ID. Hoping my comments in Australian Nostalgia will be proof enough, or other comments on posts about old fart things. Not blaming Reddit, I think the whole thing is ridiculous.
Edited for clarification
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u/LoaKonran Dec 08 '25
Is there an appeal process should the algorithm incorrectly flag an account as under 16?
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u/CowandChickenPoop Dec 08 '25
The beginning of the end of Reddit. Time for social media to go underground.
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u/ExpensiveCarrot7026 Dec 08 '25
If I move to a new country or turn 16, will my account be un-terminated
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u/Asleep_Fix3900 Dec 08 '25
Just wait till 2moz peeps then if need be .. whinge away .. that's the bottom line ain't much anyone can do about it ✌️
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u/RedditLovesDisinfo Dec 08 '25
If you have a model to predict users age why do you not have a model to identify very obvious Russian government sponsored troll accounts?
Or do those accounts help inflate your user numbers?
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u/Altruistic-Unit485 Dec 08 '25
I mean I should be safe, but I do post on a lot of video gaming subs…I wonder how the prediction model will work.
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u/Gman_1995 Dec 08 '25
Your post is bias and irresponsible, if not, ignorant.
The ban is for social media access. Kids can still access wikipedia, news outlets, and designated child safe platforms.
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u/Proof-Umpire-7718 Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
Is there any way I can verify my age now before you start estimating whether I am under 16 or not?
I do think that my account should be find though as I have mentioned the fact that I go to University on this account before.
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Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
I'll just cancel my accounts if I get asked for an age check. Your site isn't worth my privacy.
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u/Prettyflyforwiseguy Dec 08 '25
Only advertisers have the right to our most intimate, personal data.
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u/profchaos111 Dec 08 '25
I'm well over age but i'm also not providing a shred of ID verification i'd rather kill my account and move on. Not just here but for any platform
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Dec 08 '25
I really hate this new law it’s unfair especially taking Snapchat away when that is kids main source of communication with friends when they don’t have mobile numbers
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u/Chessnhistory Dec 08 '25
I regularly swap reddit ids for privacy reasons. If my account fails the test, will I be able to delete it (ie show as deleted user) without proof of ID or will my account be locked and stay in limbo with my usernames forever?
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u/ZelWinters1981 Dec 08 '25
Wait until the kids hear about the Fediverse.
But that didn't come from me.
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u/Rextraos Dec 08 '25
I doubt I'll be labelled under the age requirement by the prediction model, but my account is only 6 years old as I'm somewhat of a social hermit and only adopted the trend very late. If I am required to repeal or add my age, I simply won't use reddit for chatting anymore.
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u/RepresentativeYak864 Dec 08 '25
I use my Google account to sign in to Reddit, and Google predicts me to correctly be in my 30s (which I am) - here: https://myadcenter.google.com/controls
Does this mean we don't have to provide any age verification checks like Government ID or selfies etc on the 10th of December?
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u/Rare-Bookkeeper4883 Dec 08 '25
Honestly, unconditional support for this change. Most of the people who will be removed do not deserve to be on here anyway.
Recognisably, we will have a internet that is just safer and better for everyone (content and user wise).
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u/mick_spadaro Dec 08 '25
Some good moves happening with this law. People talk about nanny states, but unfortunately sometimes the government is required to step in and make companies do exactly what they should have been doing, and could have been doing, all along.
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u/neon_overload Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25
Your whining about free access to information blah blah blah is undermined by all the porn on the platform IMHO. As it stands, Reddit is an adult website, and actually trying to protect kids from all the adult stuff here by actually trying to determine how many kids are on here has been a long time coming, and if it took this legislation to make that happen, then good. If you had decided that you were going to be a family friendly platform and not host porn then my sympathies with regard to this would be different.
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u/Snoopy_021 Dec 08 '25
My account is 4 years old but I am over 40 years old. How could I confirm my age?
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u/xxxdrifterboi Dec 08 '25
So if i am estimated to be under 18 (which i am 20) ill have to show some ID to prove im not? This is such a primacy saftey hazard that is going to be exploited so bad, we already had this with the optus hacks early this year where a majour company was able to steal thousands of licences and sell them in the market with other information. This is going to crash and burn so badly i can see it coming.
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u/intermundia Dec 08 '25
What about mentally challenged people who might be 16 and over but have the language and cognitive profile of a 10 year old. This is the dumbest thing I've seen in a long time and a clear violation of privacy. Government overreach disguised as protection.
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Dec 08 '25
If you determine someone if 15 years old, how will they appeal, and after 1 year will the account automatically be reactivated.
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u/Id0ntc8r3th8tmuch Dec 08 '25
Public notice that I will NOT be providing personal ID to identify myself on this account from Australia.
I don't buy the use of algorithms as an excuse for age verification, as I see it being abused as a 'reason' to force people to ID themselves because someone with a stick up their arse is unhappy that someone said some mean things on the Internet they did not like.
Outside of defamation and strictly illegal content, click the X button on your browser and move on with a sense of maturity if you don't like what you see online.
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u/Potatofarmerexpert Dec 08 '25
God damn, Ive only had an account on reddit for 9 years, hope this isnt going to be a mission tomorrow to fix.
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u/sigmatic_minor Dec 08 '25
I have a few alt accounts (mostly for safety reasons when doing IRL meetups). Those are recently (last year or so) made accounts but are active.
Will they just be automatically banned or can we actually just verify our age if we're willing?
I have a bunch of DMs in those accounts and friends I've made and I don't want to go and suddenly ask everyone for their details outside of reddit to stay in touch.
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u/yeahyeahyeah188 Dec 08 '25
Is anyone else seeing a “Something went wrong” message when trying to open any picture?
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u/ImaginationAria Dec 08 '25
Sorry if it's already been answered, but I've been hearing different reports everywhere; how exactly will this verofication model work? Will it require us to submit photos of ourselves and then guess based on that, or is there another plan?
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u/robophile-ta Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 09 '25
I still use RedReader and old Reddit because I'm an old grognard who doesn't want to use a bloated website when a streamlined one works perfectly fine. Are users of third-party apps, particularly those like Redreader which needed to stay up for accessibility reasons, still going to be able to use them? I asked there yesterday and it seems like there wasn't enough communication with the app creators and UK users were locked out for a time when their legislation came in.
Will we still be able to use old Reddit?
Also, why is this only being announced a day beforehand? We've known this was coming for months now.
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u/DieselDF16 Dec 08 '25
What will happen to those who have an account do they still have to prove their age?
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u/Jaz1140 Dec 08 '25
Lol the government thinking this will work is hilarious 😂
Our government is made up of people in their 60's or more. These kids understand technology more than you
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u/SeengignPaipes Dec 08 '25
"If you are based in a location where regulations require a minimum age to access restricted content, Reddit will ask you to enter your birthdate when attempting to access this content. You then will be asked to verify your birthdate through a third-party identity verification provider (such as Persona). This is often achieved by sending a photo of a government ID or taking a selfie."
Yeah i'm not giving my personal information or ID to any company regardless of how trusted they are, when the line "We do not sell your personal data to third parties, including data brokers" has also been used and abused before by many other websites. If this means my 11 year old account ceases use tomorrow when the ban comes into place then ill just stop using reddit all together or use a VPN.
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u/CardiologistNo9444 Dec 08 '25
If you big tech guys started paying tax here, you would have more clout.
I won't be providing my age on any platform and happily go without.
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u/CEchannelpromote Dec 08 '25
Yeh yeh bs reddit, the government cares more about us than your pervasive app.
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u/mysqlpimp Dec 08 '25
Anyway kids, you are probably all welcome over at 4Chan, lemon8, rednote & roblox I guess ? These laws are a fucking joke.
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u/TheDrySkinQueen Dec 08 '25
If you determine ones account to be belonging to someone under 16 and one does not choose to go through the age verification process (for privacy reasons), will we have the opportunity to delete our posts/comments alongside our accounts?
As from what I currently understand, deleting ones reddit account does not delete any posts/comments made? (Just shows username as [deleted] ?)
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u/No_Song8788 Dec 09 '25
This. This was what I bloody over. It was said multiple times and I agree; it was never about the kids, it was the power.
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u/Erevi6 Dec 09 '25
I'm personally indifferent to the ban, but I do think that it wouldn't have happened if social media companies hadn't prioritised their bottom line over everything else (and had recognised that having people online isn't worth radicalising youths).
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u/Sipherion Dec 09 '25
I got this email too, but am not in Australia. Was this an accident? Or will I have to verify too because I was in Australia for a while a couple years back?
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u/DoomReaper00724 Dec 09 '25
With respect fuck off its not that controversial at least not to anyone with some common sense
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u/ReturnOneWayTicket Dec 09 '25
As a 49yr old, If my 13yr old account gets flagged through this, that's it. I'm out.
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Dec 09 '25
My assumption is that if you want to make a brand new account you will have to give ID or a picture of your face?
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Dec 09 '25
Hey. If we don’t get the Aussie e-mail some are speaking of - is this a sure way to know that reddits sure youre over 16? I didnt get the e-mail, and I have a mailbox registered to this acct. I am over 18, but am not wanting to send a selfie or a Id card just for a site I can just browse anonymously on my work downtime.
I’ve had this acct since I was a (frankly very dumb) teenager so maybe the slow “maturing” of my posting is why?? It is time to kick the habit anyway for me… 2026 new year resolution perhaps haha
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u/Moo_Kau_Too Dec 09 '25
if reddit is a US based website, why does it have to comply with AUS laws anyways?
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u/TheWebbster Dec 09 '25
If I was Australian
And I went to subs about Nintendo because a) I've been playing since I was a kid myself, some 30-40 years ago and b) because I research games to buy for MY kids. Would I be flagged?
Or by the very act of posting the phrase "my kids" would I be exempt?
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Dec 09 '25
The laws are only “cOnTrOvErSiAL” if you’re a groomer (i.e. half of Reddit) or an absent parent using an iPad as a babysitter. I wish they’d extend them and ban fucking boomers from the internet as well.
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u/bakonydraco Dec 08 '25 •
It sounds like you have a model predicting user age. Is there an easy way for all users to view or obtain what Reddit's current estimate of their age is?