YouTube now accepts Australia’s teen social media prohibition
On Wednesday, Google’s YouTube delivered a “disappointing update” to millions of Australian users and content creators, announcing its compliance with a world-first teen social media ban that will result in locking out users under the age of 16 from their accounts in the coming days. The decision concludes a standoff between the internet giant and the Australian government, which initially exempted YouTube from the age restriction, citing its use for educational purposes, while Google stated it was seeking legal counsel regarding its inclusion. “Viewers must now be 16 or older to sign into YouTube,” the company stated, calling it “a disappointing update to share,” and adding that the law would not make kids safer but instead “make Australian kids less safe on YouTube.” The Australian ban is being carefully observed by other regions considering similar age-based regulations, potentially establishing a global standard for how major U.S. tech platforms balance child safety and digital access, while the government insists the measure responds to growing evidence that platforms are failing to protect children from harmful content.
YouTube announced that starting December 10, any user under the age of 16 would be automatically signed out of their accounts, losing the ability to subscribe, like, or comment, though they will still be able to view content while logged out. As a result, underage content creators will also be unable to log in or post, and YouTube did not disclose how it would verify an individual’s age. The company reiterated that the ban would not enhance internet safety, emailing caregivers that “parental controls only work when your pre-teen or teen is signed in, so the settings you’ve chosen will no longer apply.” Communications Minister Anika Wells said it was “weird that YouTube is always at pains to remind us how unsafe their platform is in a logged out state,” arguing that if YouTube admits content is unsafe for age-restricted users, “that’s a problem YouTube needs to fix.”
The law forbids platforms from permitting individuals under 16 to maintain accounts, imposing penalties up to A$49.5 million ($32.5 million) for violations. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, along with TikTok and Snap’s Snapchat, have already stated they will comply, while among platforms identified by the government, only Elon Musk’s X and the message board Reddit have not publicly committed to compliance. Wells, when asked about the rise of smaller or emerging social platforms, remarked that the tech industry is “dynamic” and said the list of regulated platforms “will need to expand as different platforms receive migratory patterns,” emphasizing that enforcement must evolve as user behavior shifts.
YouTube has 325,000 accounts held by Australians aged 13 to 15, according to the eSafety Commissioner, placing it behind Snapchat with 440,000 accounts and Instagram with 350,000 in the same age group. eSafety also reported that more than one-third of Australians aged 10 to 15 have encountered harmful content on YouTube, marking it as the most problematic platform in that cohort. The situation underscores broader safety concerns as regulators and tech companies clash over responsibility, compliance, and the balance between online access and protection for minors.
