Australia announced on Wednesday its intention to include YouTube in its world-first ban on social media for teenagers. This decision reverses an earlier exemption for the Alphabet-owned video-sharing platform, potentially setting the stage for a significant legal challenge.
The move comes after the internet regulator last month urged the government to revoke YouTube’s carve-out. The regulator cited a survey revealing that 37% of minors reported encountering harmful content on the site, marking the worst performance among social media platforms.
“I’m calling time on it,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared in a statement. He emphasized the negative impact of online platforms on Australian children and reiterated social media companies’ social responsibilities. Albanese affirmed, “I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs.”
This decision broadens the scope of the ban, which is scheduled to take effect in December. YouTube contends that it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15 and should not be categorized as social media, as its primary function is video hosting.
A YouTube spokesperson stated via email, “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.”
Scope of the Ban and Educational Implications
Since the government initially announced last year that it would exempt YouTube due to its popularity among teachers, other platforms covered by the ban—including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok—have voiced complaints. They argue that YouTube shares key similarities with their services, such as enabling user interaction and recommending content through activity-based algorithms.
The ban will prohibit YouTube accounts for individuals younger than 16, while still permitting parents and teachers to show videos on the platform to minors. Angela Falkenberg, president of the Australian Primary Principals Association, expressed support for the ban, noting, “Teachers are always curators of any resource for appropriateness (and) will be judicious.”
Adam Marre, Chief Information Security Officer at cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, highlighted that artificial intelligence has significantly accelerated the spread of misinformation on social media platforms like YouTube. He added in an email, “The Australian government’s move to regulate YouTube is an important step in pushing back against the unchecked power of big tech and protecting kids.”
This reversal sets up a fresh dispute with Alphabet. In 2021, Alphabet had previously threatened to withdraw some Google services from Australia to avoid a law compelling it to pay news outlets for content appearing in searches.
Last week, YouTube informed Reuters that it had written to the government, urging it “to uphold the integrity of the legislative process.” Australian media reported that YouTube threatened a court challenge, but YouTube did not confirm this.
Communications Minister Anika Wells addressed parliament on Wednesday, stating, “I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids.”
The law, passed in November, only requires social media platforms to take “reasonable steps” to exclude Australians younger than 16, or face a fine of up to A$49.5 million. The government, which is expected to receive a report this month on age-checking product tests, has indicated that these results will influence the enforcement of the ban.
