In a strong and unexpected rebuttal, YouTube has condemned Australia’s incoming under-16 social media ban, calling the world-first legislation “rushed” and warning that it may make children less safe online instead of protecting them.
Starting December 10, Australia will enforce a nationwide prohibition preventing anyone under 16 from using major social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The move is part of an aggressive attempt to curb harmful online exposure, but tech giants are sounding alarms.
Rachel Lord, YouTube’s public policy manager, stated that the company believes the law could unintentionally weaken digital safety for minors.
“This law will not fulfil its promise to make kids safer online, and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” she said.
She added that educators and parents have echoed concerns about the sudden rollout.
Originally, YouTube was expected to be exempt so younger users could continue accessing educational content. However, in July, the Australian government pivoted—arguing that children needed stronger protection from what it called “predatory algorithms.”
As a result, all users under 16 will be automatically signed out on December 10, based on the birthdate linked to their Google account. While underage viewers can still browse without logging in, they will lose vital platform tools such as safety filters, wellbeing settings, and curated protections that typically shield younger audiences from inappropriate content.
Lord emphasized that this shift reveals a misunderstanding of YouTube’s ecosystem.
“At YouTube, we believe in protecting kids in the digital world, not from the digital world.”
To ease the transition, the company will archive all affected accounts—preserving content, settings, and history until users turn 16 and can reaccess everything.
But Australia’s communications minister, Anika Wells, fired back, calling YouTube’s reaction “outright weird.”
She argued that if YouTube admits the platform contains inappropriate content for young users, then the company has more work to do to improve safety, not less.
“That’s a problem YouTube needs to fix,” she said.
Globally, digital policymakers are closely watching Australia’s bold experiment. The government acknowledges the rollout won’t be flawless—some underage users will inevitably slip through—but platforms face hefty fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million) for failing to take reasonable compliance steps.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has already begun deactivating accounts that appear to belong to users under 16.
Meanwhile, internet rights advocates are pushing back. The Digital Freedom Project has launched a High Court challenge, claiming the laws represent an unfair attack on freedom of speech, igniting a larger debate about rights, risks, and responsibility in the digital age.
At its core, this story is not just about a ban. It’s about how we protect children while still giving them the tools to navigate an increasingly digital world. It’s a reminder that safety, freedom, technology, and parenting are deeply intertwined—and the decisions we make today will shape the online experiences of an entire generation.
