Australia adds YouTube to under-16 social media ban ahead of Dec rollout

The new rules, set to take effect on December 10, will now apply to YouTube alongside Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X

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Australia has announced that YouTube will be included in the country’s forthcoming ban on social media platforms for children under the age of 16, marking a reversal after the Google-owned site was initially excluded from the legislation. The new rules, set to take effect on 10 December, will now apply to YouTube alongside Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X.

 

“Social media is doing social harm”: PM Albanese

 

Social media is causing harm, and while this move alone will not solve everything, it will help, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a press conference on Wednesday (local time), reported Bloomberg.

 

Under the legislation, platforms that fail to stop underage users from holding accounts may face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$32.2 million).

 

YouTube's initial exclusion sparked criticism

 

Although the law provides flexibility to revise the list of companies subject to the restrictions, YouTube’s initial exclusion drew criticism from industry rivals. Tensions were further heightened by the disclosure in April that then-Communications Minister Michelle Rowland had personally assured YouTube’s leadership of an exemption. 

 

eSafety Commissioner flagged risk to youth

 

Last month, the online safety watchdog urged authorities to reconsider YouTube’s immunity. According to a report by Bloomberg, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant pointed to data indicating that YouTube is both the most-used platform among young Australians and the largest source of online harm for them.

 

Online games and education apps excluded

 

The ban does not apply to online gaming, messaging, education or health-related applications. Communications Minister Anika Wells explained that these platforms have been exempted from the age restrictions because they pose fewer social media-related harms to children under 16.

 

YouTube Kids, a version of the platform designed for children and offering parental control tools, will also remain outside the scope of the legislation.

 

YouTube maintains it is not social media

 

YouTube has pushed back against its inclusion in the under-16 social media ban, arguing that it should not be classified as a social media platform. A company spokesperson told Reuters via email that YouTube is primarily a video-sharing service offering a wide library of free, high-quality content, much of which is increasingly viewed on television screens. The platform, they emphasised, is not social media.

 

According to the company, nearly 75 per cent of Australians aged 13 to 15 use YouTube. 

 

Renewed tensions with Alphabet likely

 

The decision may reopen tensions with Google parent Alphabet, which in 2021 threatened to withdraw certain services from Australia in protest against a law requiring tech companies to pay publishers for news content featured in search results.