Australia to ban children from YouTube
In a move not dissimilar to Britain's online safety act, Australia passed a law in November which requires 'reasonable steps' by social media platforms to keep out Australians younger than 16, or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million (£24 million).
YouTube had been exempt from the sweeping social media law, but Australia's internet regulator urged the government last month to include the site, citing a survey that found 37 per cent of minors reported harmful content on the platform.
'I'm calling time on it,' Anthony Albanese said in a statement highlighting that Australian children were being negatively affected by online platforms, and reminding social media of their social responsibility.
'I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs,' the prime minister said.
The law is due to come into force in December.
Social media restrictions in the UK
In Britain, every child in the UK under the age of 13 must be barred from social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X, Peter Kyle has said.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Technology Secretary said he was aiming for '100 per cent' enforcement of the new laws, which came into force last Friday, requiring tech firms to block children aged under 13 from their platforms.
He said he 'expected' the estimated 1.8 million children aged eight to 12 in the UK who already have social media accounts to be removed from the sites.
All companies that host pornography on Friday introduced robust and 'highly effective' age checks to prevent any child under 18 accessing the content.
YouTube not 'classified as social media'
YouTube says it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media because its main activity is hosting videos.
'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,' a YouTube spokesperson said by email.
The government said in 2024 it would exempt YouTube, due to its popularity with teachers, but platforms covered by the ban – such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok – have complained.
They say YouTube has key similarities to their products, including letting users interact and recommending content through an algorithm based on activity.
The ban outlaws YouTube accounts for those younger than 16, allowing parents and teachers to show videos on it to minors.
'Teachers are always curators of any resource for appropriateness (and) will be judicious,' said Angela Falkenberg, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, which supports the ban.
'I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids,' Communications Minister Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday.
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