Overview

• The government confirmed that from December 10 under-16s will be prohibited from holding YouTube accounts, closing an exemption that had differentiated the video platform from social media sites.
• June research by the eSafety Commission found YouTube topped the list for harm exposure among minors, with nearly 37 percent reporting encounters with violent or hateful content.
• New regulations to be tabled in parliament will outline the age-verification requirements and carve out low-risk services including gaming, messaging, health and education platforms.
• Companies that fail to enforce the age-restriction rules face fines of up to A$49.5 million under the landmark legislation due to be enforced later this year.
• YouTube has signaled a possible legal challenge, insisting it should not be classified as social media after competitors such as Meta, TikTok and Snapchat criticized its earlier exemption.