Youtube in eSafety Commissioner’s crosshairs: ‘Opaque’ algorithm leaving children ‘powerless’
The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has used her address at the National Press Club to hit out at Youtube, saying its design features and its algorithm leave children “powerless” to fight against it.
Her strong stance comes amidst intense scrutiny on the video-sharing platform, which kicked off when the Albanese government earlier said Youtube could be exempt from the looming social media ban for under 16s. This week it emerged that Inman Grant had written to the government and recommended that Youtube not be exempt.
Her words at the National Press Club, however, were more emphatic, particularly when pressed by journalists about why she was seemingly targeting one platform.
“This wasn’t just about Youtube. Youtube was the only one exempted. Our recommendation was that no specific platform be exempted because, as I said, their relative risks and harms can change at any given moment, as well as the different features they incorporate… This is a dynamic field, and we have to be able to stay ahead,” she said.
Julie Inman Grant at the National Press Club
As to why Youtube is potentially dangerous to younger people, she cited its algorithm and addictive nature.
“My main concern with these platforms is obviously that harm’s happening. But I talked about the persuasive design features – I mean Youtube has mastered those. That opaque algorithm is driving users down rabbit holes that they are powerless to fight against. You’ve got to think about the constant notifications. This is not a fair fight where our kids are concerned vis-à-vis social media sites. So, I wrote [to the Communications Minister Anika Wells] based on where the evidence took me, and what my concerns are about the safety of children,” she said.
Following media reports of the eSafety Commissioner’s recommendations, this afternoon Youtube released a statement saying the advice ignored Australian families, teachers, broad community sentiment and indeed the government’s own previous decision.
“This recommendation is in direct contradiction to the government’s decision to exempt Youtube from the ban. The government’s own research confirmed there was ‘broad agreement that Youtube is suitable for younger users’. 85% of children and 68.5% of parents said Youtube was appropriate for those aged 15 years and under, in contrast to social media companies Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Youtube is not a social media platform; it is a video-streaming platform with a library of free, high-quality content, and TV screens are increasingly the most popular place to watch,” a statement from Rachel Lord, public policy and government regulations senior manager at Youtube Australia and New Zealand, said.
“Today’s position from the eSafety Commissioner represents inconsistent and contradictory advice, having previously flagged concerns the ban ‘may limit young people’s access to critical support’,” the statement continued.
“We urge the Government to follow through on the public commitment it made to ensure young Australians can continue to access enriching content on Youtube.”
Inman Grant, however, said the safety of children, and the evidence, would always override her desire to placate the community, or be ‘liked’ by politicians and the platforms. She also noted other platforms which will be subjected to the legislation would also argue they offer helpful and educational content.
“Of course there’s valuable educational material [on Youtube], but as Tiktok and Instagram and others would have said ‘Well we have educational material too’. So, again, I think what we’re trying to do here is harness the positives and still enable people to engage without the persuasive and pervasive pull of these opaque algorithms and technologies that are designed to make social media addictive.”
She also cited her own research and external reports, to counter Youtube’s claims.
“We surveyed more than 2,600 children between the ages of 10 to 15 to understand the types of online harms they face and where they are experiencing this happening. Unsurprisingly, social media in this age group is nearly ubiquitous, with 96% of children reporting having used at least one social media platform.
“Alarmingly, around seven in 10 kids said they had encountered harmful content, including misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent fight videos, and content promoting disordered eating. Children told us 75% of this harmful content was received or encountered on social media. Youtube was the most frequently cited platform in our research, with almost four in 10 children reporting exposure to harmful content there,” she said.
“This also comes as the New York Times reported earlier this month that Youtube surreptitiously rolled back its content moderation processes to keep more harmful content on its platform, even when the content violates the company’s own policies.”
Youtube argues it has been at the forefront of building age-appropriate products and experiences for a decade, and has continuously invested in its systems to react to emerging threats and trends. It also believes the eSafety Commissioner, and potentially now the Communications Minister, are bending to pressure tactics from other social media companies.
A spokesperson for the Communications Minister told Mumbrella: “The Minister is carefully considering the eSafety Commission’s advice regarding the draft Social Media Minimum Age Rules. The Minister’s top priority is making sure the draft Rules fulfil the objective of the Act and protect children from the harms of social media.”
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
I do not think governments should be in the business of parenting other people’s children
User ID not verified.