The Australian Government Includes YouTube in the List of Social Media Banned for Minors

• YouTube will be included in the list of banned social media for children in Australia.
• The government changed its decision following the results of a survey regarding harmful content.
• Platforms do not bear responsibility for preventing the registration of children.

The Australian government has decided to include YouTube in the list of banned social media for children under 16 years old. This decision became known on July 30, 2025, when Minister for Communications Anika Wells confirmed that the site will be subject to the same rules as other major platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok.

Initially, YouTube planned to be excluded from this ban, considering it an educational tool. However, this provoked backlash from representatives of other platforms, which called on the government to reconsider its decision. A specialist from Alphabet, the parent company of YouTube, expressed concern about the impact of such a change, especially since it could undermine previous agreements with the government.

Research conducted by the independent regulator of Australia, the eSafety Commission, showed that 37% of children who participated in the survey reported exposure to harmful content on YouTube. Minister Wells noted that YouTube also has manipulative elements, like other social media, and should not be distinguished in the context of the ban.

The ban, which will take effect in mid-2025, imposes liability on platforms for the registration of children and for violations of rules that foresee significant fines. The minister indicated that children will always find ways to bypass these restrictions, which calls into question the effectiveness of safety measures.

Tags: Politics/Technology