YouTube warns that children will be 'less safe' if Australia bans social media

On Wednesday, YouTube voiced strong opposition to Australia's upcoming restriction on social media use for individuals under 16, calling the legislation "hasty" and impractical. Starting December 10, Australian users under 16 will be prohibited from accessing major social platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Rachel Lord, YouTube's public policy manager, stated, "This law is unlikely to achieve its goal of protecting children online and could, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube. Parents and educators have shared similar concerns."

Initially, YouTube was expected to be exempt from the ban to allow children to watch educational content. However, the government revised its plan in July, citing the need to protect young users from "predatory algorithms." Consequently, all Australian users under 16 will be automatically logged out of YouTube on December 10, based on the age information linked to their Google accounts.

Underage users will still be able to visit YouTube without an account, but many features, including "wellbeing settings" and "safety filters," will be inaccessible. Lord commented, "The rushed regulation does not accurately reflect how young Australians use our platform."

YouTube emphasized its commitment to protecting children within the digital space rather than keeping them away from it. Accounts affected by the ban will be archived and can be reactivated when users reach 16. "We will not delete any existing content or data, which will be available upon their return," the company assured.

There is global attention on whether Australia's broad restrictions will be effective, as regulators worldwide grapple with social media risks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described social media as "a platform for peer pressure, a driver of anxiety, a vehicle for scammers, and, most concerningly, a tool for online predators."

The Australian government acknowledged that the ban will have initial limitations, and some underage users might slip through, but platforms risk fines of up to $32 million if they fail to take "reasonable steps" to comply. Meta, Facebook's parent company, has begun deactivating accounts based on age data from account creation.

Meanwhile, a legal challenge has been launched against the laws by the Digital Freedom Project, which has taken the case to Australia's High Court, arguing that the measures constitute an "unfair" attack on freedom of expression.

Author: Sophia Brooks