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Australia enforces social media ban for under-16s from 10 December
YouTube has criticized Australia's upcoming restrictions on social media access for children under 16, arguing the measures will strip away parental controls and leave minors less protected online. The ban, set to take effect on 10 December, will automatically log out users under 16 from platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok.
YouTube claims ban undermines safety measures
In a statement released on Wednesday, YouTube's public policy senior manager, Rachel Lord, said the Social Media Minimum Age Act would remove tools parents rely on to supervise their children's accounts. Features such as content filters, channel blocking, and wellbeing reminders-like prompts to take breaks-will no longer apply to users without accounts.
"This law will not make kids safer online and will, in fact, make Australian children less safe on YouTube," Lord wrote, calling the legislation "rushed" and poorly understood. She added that educators and parents had expressed similar concerns.
Government defends ban despite industry pushback
Communications Minister Anika Wells dismissed YouTube's warnings as "outright weird," questioning why the platform was highlighting its own risks. "If YouTube is reminding us all that it is not safe... that's a problem YouTube needs to fix," she said on Wednesday.
Wells acknowledged teething issues in the ban's early days but framed the law as necessary to protect "Generation Alpha" from addictive algorithms. She compared modern social media to "behavioural cocaine," citing constant notifications and dopamine-driven engagement as threats to children's attention spans.
"With one law, we can protect Generation Alpha from being sucked into purgatory by the predatory algorithms."
Anika Wells, Australian Communications Minister
Regulator targets emerging apps ahead of ban
As the deadline approaches, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has turned attention to lesser-known platforms gaining traction among teens. Apps like Lemon8 (owned by TikTok's parent company) and Yope have seen increased downloads, prompting the regulator to request self-assessments to determine if they fall under the ban.
The government reversed an earlier exemption for YouTube in July after the eSafety Commissioner found it was the most common platform where children aged 10-15 encountered harmful content.
Compliance and penalties
From 10 December, platforms must deactivate existing accounts for under-16s and block new sign-ups. Companies face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million) for non-compliance. Tech firms will also be required to submit biannual reports on underage account activity.
YouTube's parent company, Google, has reportedly considered legal action but has not commented on the matter. The ban applies to nine other platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, and X.
What changes for young users?
- Under-16s will be logged out of accounts and unable to upload content or comment.
- YouTube Kids remains unaffected by the ban.
- Default wellbeing settings (e.g., break reminders) will no longer apply to non-account holders.
