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20h ago

Australia Expands Under-16 Social Media Ban to YouTube

Based on eSafety findings that 37% of 10- to 15-year-olds encountered harmful content on YouTube, platforms must meet age-verification standards or face fines by December.

Image
Jeff Fatt, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Anthony Field pose during the "Hot Potato: The Story Of The Wiggles" World Premiere at SXSW Sydney on October 19, 2023.
Anika Wells speaks in Sydney, Australia, on March 7, 2024.
Silhouettes of laptop and mobile device users are seen next to a screen projection of Youtube logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Overview

  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells confirmed that YouTube will be captured by Australia’s under-16 social media ban, overturning an earlier exemption.
  • Platforms including Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and the newly included YouTube must implement age-verification and reasonable steps to block under-16 accounts before the ban takes effect on December 10.
  • Google has warned it will pursue legal action, arguing that YouTube is a video-sharing service rather than a social media platform.
  • YouTube Kids remains exempt because it restricts uploads and enforces additional safety controls.
  • The decision follows eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s report that 37% of 10- to 15-year-olds encountered harmful content on YouTube, prompting broader debates on enforceability and youth digital access.