As you may remember, at the start of the year, Australia approved a world-first social media ban for under 16s. In the initially proposed law, however, YouTube had been exempt from the ban, arguing that it operated different from the other platforms.
This is no longer the case: Starting on December 10, children under 16 will be banned from having YouTube accounts as well as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and others. The more tightly curated YouTube Kids app will still be spared from the ban as of now.
This decision stems partly from eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant’s recommendation, as according to a survey of 2,600 children conducted by her office, nearly four in 10 children have reported exposure to harmful content on YouTube, and was the most frequently cited platform in the study.
Even with the ban in place, children will still be able to watch YouTube videos, as the law is limited to preventing them from having accounts, which are necessary for uploading videos or interacting on the platform. YouTube, for its part, argued it shouldn’t be blocked for children as it is not social media and offers benefits to this age group.
Platforms that don’t comply with the ban may face fines of up to $49.5 million, and the government is expected to share more information on what steps — for example verification methods — they must implement in the coming months. The government has also clarified that gaming platforms, messaging apps and health services will not be included in the legislation.
Other countries seemed poised to follow Australia’s example, with Norway announcing a similar law, which would restrict social media for under 15s.