Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube, scraps exemption

SYDNEY: Australia said Wednesday it will add YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site and potentially setting up a legal challenge.

The decision came after the internet regulator urged the govt last month to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported harmful content on the site, the worst showing for a social media platform. "I'm calling time on it," PM Anthony Albanese said, highlighting that children were being negatively affected by online platforms, and reminding social media of their social responsibility. "I want Australian parents to know that we have their backs."

The decision broadens the ban set to take effect in Dec. YouTube says it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media because its main activity is hosting videos. "Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It's not social media," a YouTube spokesperson said.

Since the govt said last year it would exempt YouTube due to its popularity with teachers, platforms covered by the ban, such as Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, have complained. They say YouTube has key similarities to their products, including letting users interact and recommending content through an algorithm based on activity. The ban outlaws YouTube accounts for those younger than 16, allowing parents and teachers to show videos on it to minors.

AI has supercharged the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, said Adam Marre, chief information security officer at cyber security firm Arctic Wolf. "The move to regulate YouTube is an important step in pushing back against the unchecked power of big tech and protecting kids."

Last week, YouTube said it had written to the govt urging it "to uphold the integrity of the legislative process". Australian media said YouTube threatened a court challenge, but YouTube did not confirm that. "I will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the well-being of Australian kids," communications minister Anika Wells told parliament on Wednesday. The govt, which is due to receive a report this month on tests of age-checking products, has said those results will influence enforcement of the ban.