US EditionYouTube Says It Will Be Less Safe for Kids Under Australia's Social Media Ban
YouTube will automatically sign out under-16 users in Australia from Dec 10, compromising account protections as part of the new social media age restriction law.
- YouTube, owned by Google, agreed to sign out under-16s and archive their accounts from December 10, 2025, allowing children to watch videos without accounts.
- The Australian government says the law responds to mounting evidence of platform harms to children, after consultations begun in 2023 and Royal Assent on December 10, 2024, with enforcement delayed up to 12 months.
- The government has listed 10 major platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, X, Snapchat, Twitch, Kick, Reddit and YouTube, and companies face fines up to $49.5 million for noncompliance.
- The Digital Freedom Project has challenged the law in Australia's High Court, arguing it attacks young Australians' free speech, while alternative apps Lemon8 and Yope surge amid eSafety Commission scrutiny.
- Other jurisdictions are watching Australia as an independent panel of 12 academics evaluates the ban, while Minister Anika Wells warns enforcement will take time given almost 86 per cent of Australian children aged eight to 15 are on social media.
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Australian government social media ban on December 10
Australia has introduced a new law aimed at protecting young people from the negative effects of social media. Under this legislation, anyone under 16 will be barred from using social media platforms, with the rules coming into effect on December 10.
YouTube Will Comply With Australia's Social Media Ban - Patriot Newsfeed
The Australian government has thrown down the gauntlet, and Google’s YouTube—after some foot-dragging—has officially blinked. In a striking development that may well become a global precedent, YouTube announced on Wednesday that it will comply with Australia’s new, first-of-its-kind law banning social media accounts for anyone under 16. The result? Starting December 10, some 325,000 Aussie teens aged 13 to 15 will be automatically signed out of …
YouTube this morning criticized Australia's impending ban on social media for those under 16, calling it ill-advised. The government called the policy a safeguard to protect children from "predatory" algorithms. From December 10, Australia will require a number of major social media platforms and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, to remove accounts of minors or have...
The countdown begins to Australia’s under-16s social media ban
Two new social media apps have been put on notice by the e-safety commissioner, a week out from the implementation of the under 16s social media ban. As the government sells the policy, families are getting their heads around the impact of these changes. This story produced in collaboration with SBS Arabic.
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