Australia also limits use of YouTube in for children under 16

This article was last updated on July 30, 2025

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

Australia also limits use of YouTube in for children under 16

The Australian government wants to expand the ban on social media use under the age of 16 with a curtailment of the use of YouTube. If the parliament agrees, young people under the age of 16 can still visit the video platform, but they are no longer allowed to have an account. You need that to upload videos yourself or to respond to other users.

The Australian parliament adopted a law in November that prohibits the use of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok and X by children under 16. That was A world first. YouTube and ChatApps like WhatsApp then remained out of the shot.

Minister Wells justifies the turnaround with a reference to recent investigation. It emerged that 37 percent of the children surveyed on YouTube had come into contact with “harmful” content.

Social media use is seen by the Australian government in children as the cause of social isolation, poor night’s rest, poor physical and psychological health, lack of joy of life and exposure to harmful content such as porn and violence.

Response YouTube

YouTube disputes that it is a social medium. “YouTube is a platform to share high -quality free videos, which are increasingly being watched on TVs.” The company wants to talk to the government and is considering legal action.

Minister Wells is not afraid of that. “We are not intimidated by legal threats in the struggle for the well -being of Australian children.”

The prohibition on YouTube accounts announced in November will start on December 10. Platforms that try to circumvent the prohibition risk a fine that can amount to 28 million euros. It is not yet known which measures the platforms must take in concrete terms.

Elsewhere

The ban on social media for minors is closely monitored elsewhere in the world. Norway considers A ban on social media for young people under 15 years old. France and Denmark see more in a scheme for the entire EU. The UK is still thinking about a ban.

In the Netherlands, young people under 16 are only allowed to create an account with their parents’ permission.

Correspondent Australia Meike Wijers

“Although there is broad support in the Australian society for the plan to ban social media for children under the age of sixteen, experts question the effectiveness and necessity of a ban on YouTube. They state that the platform is an important source of information, entertainment and education for young people. Moreover, young people from the minority groups find themselves here. feel.

Moreover, it is still unclear how the prohibition is maintained. It is up to the platforms to ensure that children are banned, but the way they should do that is not yet clear. There are major concerns about the privacy of all social media users in Australia, because there may be biomedical data, such as facial scans, and other privacy -sensitive data with the tech companies. “