Technologies

Reddit Challenges Australia’s Social Media Ban for Those Under 16 in High Court

Two days after announcing it would crank up its safety rules, Reddit is going to court to fight the Australian law.

Reddit, the social media and community chat forum, announced on Thursday that it is challenging Australia’s under-16 social media ban in the country’s High Court.

A statement posted to X said that the new law, which bans Australians aged 15 and younger from using apps such as Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Kick and Twitch, «has the unfortunate effect of forcing intrusive and potentially insecure verification processes on adults as well as minors, isolating teens from the ability to engage in age-appropriate community experiences.»

The move comes just days after the San Francisco-based company implemented age verification measures in Australia.

Initially, Reddit appeared to be complying with the Australian law without resistance. On Tuesday, Reddit said it would verify that new members and current account holders in Australia are at least 16. It also announced that account holders under 18 worldwide will get modified versions of the app that prevent access to NSFW and mature content, with stricter chat settings and no ad personalization or sensitive ads.

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A representative for Reddit did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reddit calls Australian law ‘arbitrary’

Earlier this week, Reddit said the legislation limits free expression and privacy and «is arbitrary, legally erroneous, and goes far beyond the original intent of the Australian Parliament, especially when other obvious platforms are exempt.»

«We believe strongly in the open internet and the continued accessibility of quality knowledge, information, resources, and community building for everyone, including young people,» the Tuesday statement said. «This is why Reddit has always been, and continues to be, available for anyone to read even if they don’t have an account.»

Age verification rules — such as the UK Online Safety Act — are becoming the norm rather than the exception for governments and companies worldwide. The internet is increasingly being filtered to prevent children from accessing certain content online. It’s a battleground where privacy, access to information and online safety are huge factors.

Age prediction and verification

Reddit had earlier stated that it would use an age prediction model to determine if new and existing account holders in Australia are at least 16 years old. If the model predicts that one of their members is under 16, Reddit will request proof of age. As outlined by the company, people must verify their birthdate by providing a government ID or taking a selfie. The company said it would suspend accounts of those it determines to be under 16.

Reddit claimed it would only securely store age information and not the photos or documents used in the verification process. The information would not be visible to advertisers or sold to data brokers, and would reportedly only be used to «enhance content relevance and ad experiences.»

Reddit said it was planning to increase platform safety for those under 18. If you’re under 18, you won’t be permitted to moderate communities dedicated to NSFW or mature content. The site will disable ad personalization, and you will not see ads for alcohol, gambling or other sensitive topics.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Dec. 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Bullet ___ (insect known for its painful sting)
Answer: ANT

4A clue: Setting for the children’s book «Good Night, Gorilla»
Answer: ZOO

5A clue: Mixed-breed dogs
Answer: MUTTS

7A clue: Language that gave us the words «democracy» and «philosophy»
Answer: GREEK

8A clue: Untidy
Answer: MESSY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Brilliant shade of blue
Answer: AZURE

2D clue: Classroom jottings
Answer: NOTES

3D clue: «100%,» in slang
Answer: TOTES

5D clue: Longtime movie studio now owned by Amazon
Answer: MGM

6D clue: Chicago W.N.B.A. team
Answer: SKY

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Technologies

Speed Across the Galaxy Next Year in Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Step aside, Skywalker. This is more than just pod racing.

After a surprise reveal of Star Wars: The Fate of the Old Republic to start The Game Awards on Thursday, another Star Wars game made its debut. But this one has no Jedi, no lightsabers, just people racing through treacherous terrain.

Galactic Racer is developed by Fuse Games, a studio created in 2023 and made up of former Burnout and Need for Speed developers. In the game’s description, races are run-based, meaning that once your vehicle is blown up, your race is over.

Galactic Racer will be released in 2026 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

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When does Star Wars: Galactic Racer take place?

According to the Galactic Racer Steam page, the game takes place after the Empire is gone, when the galaxy is rebuilding. The Galactic League has formed in the Outer Rim, and underground races will lead to fame and fortune for those racers fast enough to survive.

The trailer introduces Shade, «a lone racer with a dream of glory and revenge,» Fuse Games co-founder Matt Webster told StarWars.com.

«Your aim is to survive long enough to earn your shot at becoming an elite racing pilot,» he said. «Our races are high-stakes competitions where racers do everything they can to get to the front in the solo campaign and in our awesome multiplayer gameplay.»

What kind of vehicles will be available to ride in Star Wars: Galactic Racer?

The game’s trailer was short, but Star Wars fans will recognize a couple of landspeeders, skim speeders and speederbikes. Each vehicle type will have its unique handling and feel, with some able to squeeze through tight spaces and hug corners at top speed.

As the players progress, they will be able to upgrade their vehicles to their preferred style of play. By continuing to win, the better the vehicle can be made and the more races across different worlds will be available to race in.

Technologies

Trump Signs AI Executive Order Blocking State Regulations

The executive order establishes a federal task force charged with the job of going after state AI laws.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that aims to block state regulations with the goal of creating a national framework for the tech industry to follow.

The Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence executive order says the tech industry must be «free to innovate without cumbersome regulation» as state regulations are creating a patchwork of laws. The order calls out states like Colorado for demanding AI models account for «ideological bias,» which the administration says can lead to «false results» that impact protected groups. The order also says that some state laws regulate beyond state borders, infringing on interstate commerce, which is the domain of the federal government.

The order says it shall ensure that «children are protected, censorship is prevented, copyrights are respected, and communities are safeguarded.» The executive order says it won’t target «lawful state AI laws,» which include child safety protections, data center permitting reforms, government procurement and use of AI, with «other topics as shall be determined.» Beyond that, the order is slim on exact details of what the administration would ultimately try to enforce in regards to AI.

The administration will set up an AI litigation task force within the next 30 days with the goal of challenging state laws. Within the next 90 days, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick must publish a report on existing state laws that go against the executive order or violate the First Amendment, as well as any other parts of the Constitution. The order may also withhold broadband development funding from states.

The executive order is a follow-up to a Truth Social post by the president on Monday.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

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«On the heels of Congress correctly deciding for the second time not to pass legislation that would ban states from regulating artificial intelligence, the president should recognize that this is a misguided, unpopular, and dangerous policy choice,» Travis Hall, director for state engagement at the Center for Democracy & Technology, told CNET in a statement.

Hall said the states need to be allowed to safeguard their citizens.

«The power to preempt rests firmly with Congress, and no executive order can change that,» he said. «State lawmakers have an important role to play in protecting their constituents from AI systems that are untrustworthy or unaccountable. They should remain steadfast in responding to the real and documented harms of these systems.»

The report of a new executive order comes as states have been attempting to regulate AI, particularly as the technology infiltrates all aspects of technology and society, with Congress and the Executive Branch seeking to push back.

Some states have passed laws making it a crime to create sexual images of people without their consent. Others have placed restrictions on insurance companies using AI to approve or deny health care claims. Currently, Congress hasn’t passed any legislation regulating AI on a national scale.

Last month, 35 states and the District of Columbia urged Congress not to block state laws regarding AI regulation, warning of «disastrous consequences.» Congress ultimately chose not to interfere earlier this month. Companies, including Google, Meta, OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz, have been calling for national AI standards rather than litigating across all 50 states.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)