Australia to Block YouTube for Under-16s, $50M Fine for Violators

Australia has revoked its social media exemption for YouTube, banning users under 16 from platform. This decision follows concerns about harmful content exposure and aligns with existing restrictions on social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok.

Australia has reinforced its position by revoking its social media ban for minors in response to mounting concerns about their exposure to social media. After reversing its previous exception, the nation has chosen to include YouTube in its under-16 prohibition, joining Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner urged the government to remove YouTube's exemption, pointing out that the platform presents hazards akin to those of other social networks, which led to the reversal.

Under the rule, which was approved in November, platforms must take "reasonable steps" to keep minors under 16 off their sites or face fines of up to $49.5 million. The government will provide a report on age-verification technology later this month, which is anticipated to influence how severely the rule is implemented.

According to the sources, the limits would take effect in December 2025. This implies that by the end of the year, children under the age of 16 will be prohibited from registering YouTube accounts, but parents and instructors will be permitted to present videos in class.

The move comes after a recent regulator poll found that 37% of under-18s have seen hazardous content on YouTube, the highest number of any site. Furthermore, it revealed that around 68 percent of 10- to 12-year-olds used YouTube.

YouTube's Reaction to the Announcement

Unsurprisingly, YouTube is pushing back. The firm claims that over three-quarters of Australian teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 rely on it and that its primary function is to host and distribute films rather than promote social networking.

The updated rules have paved the way for a new showdown with Alphabet, which famously threatened to withdraw some Google services from Australia in 2021 rather than comply with a legislation requiring it to compensate media firms for the use of their news.