A YouTube ban for children under 16 has been announced in Australia, due to worries about exposure to harmful content and the impact of “predatory algorithms.”
Beginning on December 10, minors under the age of sixteen are prohibited from using Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X as part of a larger social media crackdown that started last year.
Australia Bans YouTube for Under-16s to Protect Kids from ‘Predatory Algorithms’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated, “Young people under the age of 16 will not be able to have accounts on YouTube… We want Australian parents and families to know that we have got their back.”
Albanese admitted that although this action isn’t a panacea, it is a significant step in lessening the harm that social media causes to young people.
Forty percent of Australian children have reported coming across harmful content on YouTube, according to Communications Minister Anika Wells.
Wells explained the reasoning behind the ban: “We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are.”
She emphasized that while social media has its place, it should not allow “predatory algorithms targeting children.”
YouTube Added to Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban List
After being left off of the ban list at first, YouTube has now been added alongside the other significant platforms.
If platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X don’t stop minors from using their services, they could be fined A$49.5 million, or roughly $32.2 million.
The Australian government’s decision was criticized by YouTube, which described it as an unexpected reversal.
A YouTube spokesperson stated, “Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens.”
In support of its position as a content provider rather than a social networking service, the company claimed that YouTube is essentially distinct from other conventional social media platforms.
Australia intended to impose a minimum age restriction on children’s use of social media in September of last year. Advocates for digital rights strongly objected to the action, stating that it could further stifle harmful online activity.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that his center-left government planned to implement age minimum regulations for social media later that year after conducting an age verification trial.
Although no official age was stated, it was generally assumed to be between 14 and 16.
