Australia bans YouTube access for children under 16

Australia continues its war against the giants of the internet. Starting next December, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X , and Facebook will be required to incorporate age verification tools that prevent users under 16 from continuing to access their content. The video site YouTube was added to this list, which was shared last November, on Wednesday of this week, and will also have to put up barriers to entry for minors. The Government believes it causes "harm to society."

"Social media has a social responsibility, and there's no doubt Australian children are being negatively impacted by these platforms, so it's time to say enough is enough," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

The decision to add the popular Google-owned platform, which has approximately 2.5 billion unique users each month, comes after the country's internet regulator urged the Oceanian government last June to reconsider the decision. According to data it provided following a survey, 37% of minors report harmful content on the site, the worst result for a social platform.

Specifically, other networks, such as Facebook, X, and Snapchat, which is also penalized by the ban, initially regretted that YouTube was not included on the list. They believe, as reported by Reuters, that YouTube has key similarities with their products, including the ability for users to interact and recommend content through an activity-based algorithm.

YouTube has defended itself against this claim, stating that it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15 and that it should not be classified as a social network, as its core business is hosting videos. "Our position is clear: YouTube is a video-sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on television screens. It is not a social network," a spokesperson for the platform stated.

Indeed, the rule will take effect on December 10th. The country will likely struggle to prevent young people from continuing to access the banned platforms. Just a week ago, the United Kingdom began requiring websites with harmful content, such as pornographic sites, to implement age-control systems similar to those expected to be introduced in Australia. Downloading VPN apps , which allow users to fake their browsing location, has skyrocketed on the islands.