Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

A picture taken on October 5, 2021 in Toulouse shows the logo of Youtube social media displayed by a by a tablet and a smartphone. Photo by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/File

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175383820179120220323-yt.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A picture taken on October 5, 2021 in Toulouse shows the logo of Youtube social media displayed by a by a tablet and a smartphone. Photo by Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/File</span></span></span></div><p>SYDNEY, Australia — Australia will use landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from video-streaming site YouTube, a top minister said Wednesday stressing the need to shield them from &quot;predatory algorithms.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/11/7/australia-moves-to-ban-children-under-16-from-social-media-956">Australia moves to ban children under 16 from social media</a></div><p>Communications Minister Anika Wells said four-in-ten Australian children had reported viewing harmful content on YouTube, one of the most visited websites in the world.</p><p>&quot;We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are,&quot; Wells said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s a place for social media, but there&#x27;s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children.&quot;</p><p>Australia announced last year it was drafting laws that will ban children from social media sites such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram until they turn 16.</p><p>The government had previously indicated YouTube would be exempt, given its widespread use in classrooms.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/life/05/23/22/pinoy-kids-spend-most-time-on-youtube-tiktok">Pinoy kids spend most time on YouTube, TikTok: cybersecurity firm</a></div><p>&quot;Young people under the age of 16 will not be able to have accounts on YouTube,&quot; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;They will also not be able to have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X among other platforms.</p><p>&quot;We want Australian parents and families to know that we have got their back.&quot;</p><p>Albanese said the age limit may not be implemented perfectly -- much like existing restrictions on alcohol -- but it was still the right thing to do.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NOT &#x27;SOCIAL MEDIA&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>A spokesman for YouTube said Wednesday&#x27;s announcement was a jarring U-turn from the government.</p><p>&quot;Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens,&quot; the company said in a statement.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s not social media.&quot;</p><p>On paper, the ban is one of the strictest in the world.</p><p>But the current legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced -- prompting concern among experts that it will simply be a symbolic piece of unenforceable legislation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/29/21/youtube-blocks-all-anti-vaccine-content">YouTube blocks all anti-vaccine content</a></div><p>It is due to come into effect on December 10.</p><p>Social media giants -- which face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million) for failing to comply -- have described the laws as &quot;vague&quot;, &quot;problematic&quot; and &quot;rushed&quot;.</p><p>TikTok has accused the government of ignoring mental health, online safety and youth experts who had opposed the ban.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/11/01/22/filipino-youtube-channels-grow-in-subscribers-google-ph">Filipino YouTube channels seeing growth in subscribers: Google PH</a></div><p>Meta -- owner of Facebook and Instagram -- has warned that the ban could place &quot;an onerous burden on parents and teens&quot;.</p><p>The legislation has been closely monitored by other countries, with many weighing whether to implement similar bans.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3uMLWrWKgnU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Australia will use landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from video-streaming site YouTube, a top minister said Wednesday.</p>

Australia will use landmark social media laws to ban children under 16 from video-streaming site YouTube, a top minister said Wednesday.

Australia to ban under-16s from YouTube

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Australia to ban under-16s from YouTube

Agence France-Presse

Published Jul 30, 2025 09:17 AM PHT

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