YouTube Kids to escape social media ban for children under 16
The main YouTube platform will join Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and Snapchat in being caught by the ban, which is set to come into effect on December 10, after the government backflipped on its earlier plan to exclude Google's video streaming site.
The government is expected to table rules in parliament on Wednesday to set which online services will be captured by the laws that were enacted with bipartisan support last year in an effort to protect children from online bullying and body image issues.
Sites that are primarily intended for education, messaging, health or online gaming will be exempt.
YouTube's inclusion in the ban sets the government up for a possible fight after the platform's owner, Google, sent a letter to Communications Minister Anika Wells threatening to sue if it was not given an exemption.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said restricting YouTube from use by children under 16 meant his government stood on the side of Australian families.
'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,' he said in a statement.
'Social media is doing social harm to our children, and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs.'
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