Australia has expanded the ban on teenagers visiting social media sites, including YouTube, that they consider legal action against such moves despite warnings from their parental Alphabet.
Canberra passed the law late last year, aimed at preventing people under the age of 16 from joining social media platforms such as Instagram, X, Tiktok, Facebook and Snapchat.
The law is responsible for enforcing age restrictions on technology companies or facing substantial fines up to $50 million ($33 million).
YouTube, which claims to be a video sharing service rather than a social media company, was exempt because of its role in education and children’s entertainment.
However, Australia’s Esafety Commissioner said last month that YouTube should be included in the ban. Alphabet writes to warn the government that it is considering its legal position.
Communications Minister Annika Wells said on Wednesday that Esafiti’s evidence was “unable to be ignored.”
She said parents struggle to find out what’s best for their kids online, and it’s like trying to teach young people how to swim in the open sea rather than in the local pool.
“We can’t control the ocean, but we can police sharks, so if this is a true battle for the happiness of Australian children, we won’t be threatened by legal threats,” she said at a press conference.
YouTube said the move to include it in the social media ban was a “reversal” from its previous public commitment to exempt it, passed by last year’s law. “We will consider the next steps and continue to engage with the government,” it said.
The ban, which comes into effect in December, will not stop children from accessing YouTube. Under 16 years of age will register for an account, restrict access to inappropriate content and stop circumventing personalized recommendations. “We want our kids to know who they are before the platform assumes who they are,” Wells said.
Social media sites should disable existing accounts held by users under the age of 16 by December, taking “reasonable measures” to prevent children from finding an easy way to avoid the ban.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday that he will hold a meeting on the ban on social media on the UN General Assembly in September after other countries expressed interest in legislation. “This is not an Australian experience. It’s a general experience,” he said.
