Why is Australia set to ban under-16s from YouTube? Country reverses an earlier decision to exempt streaming platform from social media restrictions

Australia is set to ban children from having an account on YouTube, reversing an earlier decision by the federal government that allowed under-16s to the same.

The Guardian has reported that the decision will come into effect on December 10, though it has yet to be confirmed by the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, and Anika Wells, who is the communications minister, on Wednesday.

"Young people under the age of 16 will not be able to have accounts on YouTube," the PM said. "I'm calling time on it. Social media is doing social harm to our children, and I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs. We know that this is not the only solution," he said of the ban, "but it will make a difference."

The video-sharing platform was previously granted an exemption due to its popularity among teachers. However, the federal government is arguing that the platform poses a threat to the health and mental well-being of children. The YouTube Kids app, however, will be exempted from this ban.

Everything we know about the ban on YouTube for under-16s as the company pushes back:

According to The Guardian, YouTube is contending that its operations differ from other platforms, and that the former communications minister, Michelle Rowland, had exempted it from the under-16s ban. The Google-owned platform will also be holding a massive event for politicians in the Parliament House on Wednesday.

Anika Wells reportedly said in a statement:

“The Albanese government is giving kids a reprieve from the persuasive and pervasive pull of social media while giving parents peace of mind. There’s a place for social media, but there’s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children.”

According to the BBC, the move is the world's first social media ban. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Snapchat are all set to experience the same ban come this December as well. However, apps like Messenger Kids, WhatsApp, and Google Classroom will be exempted.

Now, teenagers will be allowed to watch videos on YouTube, though they won't be able to create an account, which is required to share content or interact online.

YouTube is arguing that it "offers benefit and value to younger Australians": "It's not social media," it said in a statement on Wednesday. However, a spokesperson has since said the company will "consider next steps" and "continue to engage" with the federal government.

The country's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant touted the ban on YouTube last month, noting that it was "the most frequently cited platform" where children aged between 10 to 15 years watched "harmful content." Reuters has reported that a survey found that 37% of minors reported watching damaging content on the site, which was the worst-ever for a social media platform.

Per the outlet, YouTube is saying that nearly three-quarters of Australians aged between 13 to 15 rely on the platform, and that it shouldn't be classified as a social media platform as its main operations are 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 spokesperson for the company told Reuters in an email.

Several Australian media outlets have also reported that Google is looking into suing if YouTube falls under the ban, contending that it limits political freedom. However, Wells noted that "there's not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children".

She compared protecting the children from the dangers online to "trying to teach your kids to swim in the open ocean with the rips and the sharks compared to at the local council pool". "We can't control the ocean but we can police the sharks and that is why we will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the wellbeing of Australian kids," she said.

Social media platforms are now mandated to take "reasonable steps" to ensure the ban is followed, and if they fail to do so, they are looking at fines of up to $50 million. The teenagers and their families will not be hit with any fines should they manage to gain access.

The law also reportedly stipulates that social media companies are urged to ask for government IDs to verify the ages of all account holders, though it won't be a requirement. And so, they will need to offer their users "reasonable alternatives". The government is reportedly expected to shed light on the various alternatives to verifying ages in the coming months, The Guardian further reports.

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