Under-16s to be banned on Youtube after government withdraws exemption
The Albanese government has added Youtube to the list of platforms included in the forthcoming social media ban for children under 16, reversing earlier plans to give the video site an exemption.
The government will today table the rules regarding which platforms fall under the ban, to come into effect in December. Gaming platforms, educational sites, messaging apps, and health services will not be impacted, while Youtube is set to join Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, and X (and possibly others) on the banned list.
“Our government is making it clear — we stand on the side of families,” Anthony Albanese said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Social media has a social responsibility and there is no doubt that Australian kids are being negatively impacted by online platforms, so I’m calling time on it.”
RELATED: ‘Deliberately misled the public’: Shadow minister slams Albanese’s ‘Youtube u-turn’
The backflip comes after the eSafety Commission Julie Inman Grant advised the new Communications Minister Anika Wells last month to include Youtube among the banned platforms. Inman Grant also used a June address at the National Press Club to argue against the exemption, saying that Youtube’s algorithm leaves children “powerless”.
Anika Wells
She cited a survey of 2,600 children, saying 40% had been exposed to inappropriate content on Youtube, “the most frequently cited platform in our research”.
Wells said the 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.”
The former Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said in November that Youtube would likely not fall under the ban, and reportedly assured the platform’s owner Google of this in a December email. In a November 29 media release, Albanese named the platform alongside Kids Helpline, Google Classroom, and Headspace as one of the “services and apps that are primarily for the purposes of education and health support” that children will have “continued access” to under the Bill amendment.
In February, the government issued a discussion paper to major stakeholders that singled YouTube out for a possible exemption, drawing the ire of other platforms for its “closed door consultation”.
Last week, Google floated the idea of legal action if Youtube is included in the ban, sending a letter to Wells with three points of contention: That the ban unconstitutionally restricts freedom of political expression; it misclassifies Youtube as a social media platform when it is a video platform; and not exempting Youtube could be an inappropriate use of ministerial power.
Labor minister Tanya Plibersek responded to the threat, saying: “We’re not going to be bullied out of taking action by any social media giant.”
A Youtube spokesperson said in a statement to Mumbrella it “share[s] the Government’s goal of addressing and reducing online harms.
“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.
“The Government’s announcement today reverses a clear, public commitment to exclude YouTube from this ban. We will consider next steps and will continue to engage with the Government.”
Interestingly, Google will hold a creator event at Parliament House tonight.
“Google at Parliament House” will feature “some of Australia’s most beloved YouTube Creators, including the Mik Maks and Never Too Small”, according to the invite, with a performance by rock band The Rubens.
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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How can this even be enforced? It’s not like you need an account to view content on YouTube, you only need a device.
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Well done. YouTube can be a great platform, but as a parent of two young boys, I’ve found that even YouTube Kids contains a lot of questionable content. They first heard about Andrew Tate through YouTube, for example. Even seemingly innocent content like Minecraft videos can influence their behaviour negatively, based on the reactions and attitudes they see in those videos.
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but but but where else will they see boxes being opened and slime eating challenges! booooo!
we had Roger Ramjet, dangerous McHappy meal toys, and potential to buy a house one day – now kids have nothing! poor little bastards
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YouTube is a parents worst nightmare in terms of the stuff it serves up. Classic Google where they do one good thing (some education videos) for 10 bad things (incel crap) and want to be treated specially
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