YouTube accounts for minors under 16 years of age face a ban in Australia, marking a shift from the platform's previous policy.
In a landmark decision, the Australian government has announced that popular video-sharing platform YouTube will be subject to age restrictions, effective from December 10, 2025. This move is part of world-first laws aimed at reducing online harms to young people.
The Australian Communications Minister, Anika Wells, defended the decision, stating that it is intended to address harmful impacts on children, including addictive behaviours, social isolation, sleep interference, poor mental and physical health, low life-satisfaction, and exposure to inappropriate and harmful content.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., has expressed opposition to the decision. However, the platform has stated that it shares the government's goal of addressing online harms and plans to consider next steps and engage with the government.
The new laws require Australian social media platforms, including YouTube, to implement robust age verification and prevention measures. These platforms must take reasonable steps to verify user ages and enforce the age restriction, under risk of significant fines up to AUD 49.5 million for non-compliance.
Platforms that enable online social interaction, user linkage, and content posting fall within the scope of these age restrictions. The government expects platforms to use existing capabilities such as age inference based on user behaviour and account information, supplemented by additional verification methods that will be outlined in forthcoming eSafety Commissioner guidelines.
Certain services like online gaming, standalone messaging apps, and health or education platforms are excluded from these restrictions, given they pose fewer social media harms or are regulated differently.
The aim of the age restrictions is to delay access to social media until age 16, helping young Australians build offline connections and resilience. The law specifies that platforms must take reasonable steps—a term under further eSafety guidance—to actively prevent underage users, rather than relying on self-reported ages or simple click-through agreements.
It is worth noting that the Australian government passed world-first laws in November 2021 that banned children under 16 from using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will campaign at a United Nations forum in New York for international support for banning children from social media. Albanese states that discussions with other leaders indicate they are considering the impact of social media on young people in their respective nations.
In response to concerns about the verification process, Anika Wells stated that platforms won't require users to upload personal identification documents such as passports and driver's licenses to prove their age. Instead, they will use a combination of age inference and other verification methods.
Children will be able to access YouTube but will not be allowed to have their own accounts. This means that parents or guardians will need to manage their children's access to the platform.
The government had commissioned an evaluation of age assurance technologies to report on how young children could be excluded from social media, but has yet to receive the final recommendations.
In summary, the Australian government's decision to impose age restrictions on YouTube and other social media platforms is a significant step towards protecting young people from online harms. The government's support and enforcement mechanisms, along with the platforms' commitment to comply, should help minimise youth exposure to these harmful impacts.
- The Australian government, through the implementation of age restrictions on YouTube and other social media platforms, aims to promote education-and-self-development opportunities for young Australians by delaying their access to social media until age 16, thereby fostering offline connections and resilience.
- In light of growing concerns over the impact of media, including social media, on health, the Australian government has moved to restrict young people's access to these platforms, with an focus on reducing exposure to inappropriate and harmful content.
- As technology advancements impact various aspects of the world, including sports, health, and education, the Australian government's Age Verification laws, set to be implemented in December 2025, underscore a global shift towards ensuring youth protection and online safety.
