YouTube Agrees to Follow Australia’s New Under-16 Social Media Ban

Google’s YouTube has confirmed it will comply with Australia’s groundbreaking ban preventing children under 16 from maintaining social media accounts, marking a major shift after the platform initially resisted the policy. The decision places YouTube alongside other major platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—that have agreed to adopt the strict age-restriction rules when they take effect on December 10.

YouTube originally secured an exemption because its primary purpose was classified as video viewing and education rather than social networking. However, after other platforms raised concerns over fairness, the Australian government expanded the law to include YouTube. While agreeing to follow the mandate, YouTube reiterated that it disagrees with being categorized as a social media service, arguing that the platform operates fundamentally differently from traditional social networks.

Under the new regulations, users under 16 will be automatically signed out of their accounts starting December 10. This means they will lose access to features such as subscribing to channels, liking videos, commenting, and uploading content. They will still be able to watch videos without logging in. However, YouTube did not specify how it plans to verify users’ ages, raising questions about how enforcement will work in practice.

The company has also notified parents that existing parental control settings will become ineffective once children are logged out, highlighting a significant shift in how young users interact with the platform. The law imposes hefty penalties—up to A$49.5 million ($32.5 million)—for platforms that fail to block under-16s from creating accounts.

Australia’s move is being closely monitored worldwide as governments consider stronger online child-safety measures. According to the eSafety Commissioner, YouTube holds about 325,000 accounts belonging to Australian teens aged 13 to 15, making it one of the most widely used platforms among minors. The regulator also reported that more than one-third of children aged 10 to 15 had encountered harmful content on YouTube, the highest rate among major platforms. Only X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit have yet to publicly commit to compliance.

Media reports previously suggested that YouTube was exploring a possible legal challenge to the classification, though the company has not confirmed whether this remains under consideration.