Australia Includes YouTube in Social Media Ban for Kids

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on July 30 that his government would reverse its decision to exempt YouTube from Australia’s social media ban for children under 16. The move comes after Australia’s internet safety watchdog, eSafety, warned of the platform’s potential risks.

A recent eSafety survey found that about 37% of minors had reported harmful content on the site, making YouTube the riskiest social media platform for Australian children.

The bill, first proposed last December, would ban children under 16 from accessing social media platforms, citing the potential physical and psychological harm that social media sites could have on minors. Though the bill has attracted some controversy, being cited as an infringement of free speech rights, it has received broad support across the Australian political spectrum.

“Social media has a social responsibility and there is no doubt that Australian kids are being negatively impacted by online platforms. So I’m calling time on it,” Albanese said.

Originally, the Australian government had made an exception for YouTube, citing its popularity among teachers and its potential as an educational tool. eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant clarified that, following this latest decision, minors under 16 will still be able to access the popular video-sharing site, but may not create personal accounts.

In a statement to Reuters, a YouTube spokesperson claimed the platform is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians between the ages of 13 and 15. “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,” the spokesperson added.

YouTube has also declared that it has written a letter to the Australian government urging it to “uphold the integrity of the legislative process.” It is currently unclear if the platform intends to challenge the decision in Australian courts.

Regarding the concern that Australian children will find ways to bypass the restrictions, Albanese said: “That’s not a reason to stop the other laws that we’ve put in place about alcohol consumption, or about the purchasing of tobacco.”

A recent study by eSafety found that over 80% of Australian children regularly bypass social media age restrictions.

The ban is set to take effect on December 10.