YouTube is about to join the growing list of apps banned for under 16s in Australia, a country with a population of roughly 28 million people, as part of a major government crackdown on social media and online safety.
From 10 December this year, children under the age of 16 won’t be able to have accounts on popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat — and now YouTube. The move comes after months of debate over whether the video-sharing site should be treated differently from other social media apps.
Originally, it looked like YouTube would avoid restrictions, but that decision has now been reversed.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, recommended the addition of YouTube to the ban after a report found that the platform was “the most frequently cited” by children aged 10 to 15 when it came to exposure to harmful content. Another report stated that four in ten children said their most recent experience of online harm came from YouTube, more than any other platform.
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Under the new rules, under-16s will still be able to watch YouTube videos if they’re not signed in or are using someone else’s account. However, they will no longer be allowed to make their own profiles, upload content or interact with videos directly.
The law will also force tech companies to deactivate existing underage accounts and block any new ones that break the rules. If they don’t comply, they face fines of up to A$50 million (£25.7m/$322.7m).
The announcement has sparked pushback from Alphabet, the parent company that owns Google and, thus, YouTube. The tech giant has argued that the platform shouldn’t be lumped in with other social media sites, claiming it offers educational and entertainment value to young Australians.
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A spokesperson for the company said: “Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It’s not social media.”
In a further statement following the government’s decision, the company said it would “consider next steps” and “continue to engage” with Australian authorities over the issue.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, however, has dismissed threats of legal action over the move. Speaking to reporters, he said: “I say to them that social media has a social responsibility. There is no doubt that young people are being impacted adversely in their mental health by some of the engagement with social media, and that is why the government has acted.”
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The government has confirmed that other apps — such as online gaming, messaging services, education and health platforms – won’t be included in the ban, stating that they “pose fewer social media harms to under 16s”.
The new restrictions mark one of the most significant attempts yet by a major country to limit children’s access to social media. With YouTube now officially added to the list, Australia is making clear that it wants tighter rules to protect young people online — even if that means taking on some of the biggest tech firms in the world.