Australia Adds YouTube To Social Media Ban For Children

Last Updated:July 30, 2025, 07:15 IST

The decision came after Australia's internet regulator had urged the govt to overturn a YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported seeing harmful content.

Australia to include Alphabet-owned YouTube in its world-first ban on social media for teenagers. (Representative Image)

Australia announced on Wednesday that it will include YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing a previous decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video platform and potentially leading to a legal confrontation.

This decision followed the internet regulator’s recommendation last week to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey revealing that 37% of minors had encountered harmful content on the site.

“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," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated. “I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs."

The ban, set to take effect in December, has now been expanded. YouTube, which claims usage by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13-15, argues it should not be classified as social media since its primary function is video hosting.

Last year, the government planned to exempt YouTube due to its popularity with educators. Platforms included in the ban, such as Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, have since objected, arguing that YouTube shares key features with their services, including user interaction and algorithmic content recommendations.

This reversal sets the stage for a renewed conflict between Australia and Alphabet, which previously threatened to withdraw some Google services from the country in 2021 to avoid a law requiring payment to news outlets for content featured in searches.

“Our stance remains clear: YouTube is a video-sharing platform with a vast library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It’s not social media," a YouTube spokesperson communicated via email.

Last week, YouTube informed Reuters that it had written to the government urging them to maintain the integrity of the legislative process. Australian media reported that YouTube threatened a court challenge against the ban, though YouTube did not confirm this.

The relevant law, passed in November, mandates that social media platforms must take reasonable steps to exclude Australians under 16 or face fines up to A$49.5 million.

The government is expecting a report this month on age-verification tests, which will inform how the ban will be implemented.

(With agency inputs)

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