Australian Government Wants To Ban Children From Watching YouTube, Here's Why!

JAKARTA Australia and YouTube's internet watchdogs criticized each other on Tuesday, June 24 after regulators urged the government to revoke the exemption plan for Alphabet's video-sharing platform from the social media ban law for teens under 16 years of age.

The dispute adds to uncertainty ahead of the historic enactment of the law on December 10, which would make Australia the first country in the world to sanction social media companies if they fail to block user access under the age of 16.

The Government of the Labor Party led by Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, previously stated that it would grant exceptions to YouTube, arguing that the platform is widely used for educational and health purposes. Meanwhile, other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram (Meta), Snapchat, and TikTok stated that this exception was unfair.

ESafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said she had written to the government last week and confirmed that there should be no exceptions when the law comes into force.

He cited research results showing that 37 percent of children aged 10 to 15 admitted that they had seen harmful content on YouTube as the highest number compared to other social media platforms.

"This is not a fair fight when it comes to our children and social media," Inman Grant said in a speech at the National Press Club in Sydney.

He added that social media companies use persuasive design features, such as recommendation algorithms and notifications, to keep users active and YouTube is very good at this. "Untransparent YouTube algorithms bring users into "rabbit holes" that they can't avoid," he said.

In response, YouTube through its official blog accused Inman Grant of providing inconsistent and contradictory advice, as well as ignoring government research itself which states that 69 percent of parents think YouTube is suitable for children under the age of 15.

"The eSafety commissioner chose to ignore this data, the Australian Government's decision, and clear evidence from teachers and parents that YouTube is suitable for young users," Rachel Lord wrote, YouTube's public policy manager for Australia and New Zealand.

When asked about an exclusion-supporting survey for YouTube, Inman Grant said that children's safety is a top priority, exceeding political affairs, popularity, or public support.

A spokesman for the Minister of Communications, Anika Wells, said that the minister was considering suggestions from online regulators and emphasized that the government's top priority was ensuring the regulation was in accordance with the law's objectives and protecting children from social media hazards.