Australia to include Youtube in world-first social ban for under-16

The government of Australia has decided to include YouTube in its world-first social media ban for minors under the age of sixteen, renouncing its earlier exemption for the platform.

The video-sharing service was intended to be spared from the proposal, which is set to begin in December and will limit TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat.

Under the prohibition, teens will not be allowed to create an account, which is necessary in order to contribute content or engage with the platform, but they will still be able to watch YouTube videos.

Google-owned YouTube has maintained that since the website “offers benefit and value to younger Australians,” it shouldn’t be prohibited for kids.

In a statement released Wednesday, it stated, “It’s not social media,”

Australia’s laws are being watched with great interest by global leaders, with Norway announcing a similar ban and the UK saying it is considering following suit.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Wednesday, “Social media is doing social harm to our children, and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs.”

“We know that this is not the only solution,” he said of the ban, “but it will make a difference.”

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant last month recommended YouTube be added to the ban as it was “the most frequently cited platform” where children aged 10 to 15 years saw “harmful content”.

After Wednesday’s announcement, a spokesperson from YouTube said it will “consider next steps” and “continue to engage” with the government.

Last week, several Australian media outlets had reported that Google was threatening to sue the government if YouTube was included in the ban, arguing it would restrict political freedom.

Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said that while there is a place for social media, “there’s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children”.

She described trying to protect children from the harms of the internet as “like trying to teach your kids to swim in the open ocean with the rips and the sharks compared to at the local council pool”.

“We can’t control the ocean but we can police the sharks and that is why we will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the wellbeing of Australian kids,” she said.

Exclusions to the ban will include “online gaming, messaging, education and health apps” as they “pose fewer social media harms to under 16s”, Wells said.

Under the ban, digital businesses that do not comply with the age limitations face fines of up to A$50 million ($32.5 million; £25.7 million). They will need to cancel existing accounts, prevent new accounts, and block any workarounds and problems.

More information about the new ban’s implementation will be submitted to federal parliament on Wednesday.