Australia will next week impose a world-first ban on under-16s using major social media platforms, brushing aside criticism from YouTube and internet freedom groups as it moves to shield children from what it calls “predatory algorithms”.
From December 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube will be required to remove underage accounts or face fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (€28 million). Hundreds of thousands of young users are expected to be affected, with Instagram alone reporting about 350,000 Australians aged 13 to 15.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said the law was needed to protect children from an online “purgatory” created by algorithms pushing harmful content. Some teenagers had taken their own lives after being targeted with material that “drained their self-esteem”, she said. While the ban would not fix “every harm occurring on the internet”, it would give children a better chance to “chase a better version of themselves”.
YouTube has fiercely opposed the plan, arguing the move is rushed and will make young Australians “less safe” by forcing them off logged-in accounts that provide parental controls, wellbeing settings, and safety filters. The platform said under-16s will be automatically signed out next week, but could still browse without an account, losing access to most features.
Wells dismissed the criticism as “outright weird”, saying that if YouTube claims its logged-out environment is unsafe, “that’s a problem YouTube needs to fix”.
The government admits some underage users will slip through the net initially, but says more platforms could be added as children migrate to alternative apps. A legal challenge lodged by the Digital Freedom Project argues the sweeping restrictions violate free-speech rights.
