Australia is set to implement groundbreaking social media legislation that will bar children under the age of 16 from creating accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, and other major platforms, starting December 10, 2025.
Communications Minister, Anika Wells, said the move is part of a broader effort to shield young Australians from harmful online content and manipulative algorithms.
According to her, nearly four in ten children in the country have encountered harmful material on YouTube, a platform that remains one of the most visited globally.
“We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are,” Wells said in a statement.
“There’s a place for social media, but there’s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children.”
The new restrictions will fall under a legislative framework introduced last year, originally aimed at barring minors from social media apps such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. YouTube had initially been considered exempt due to its role in education and widespread classroom use.
However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Wednesday that YouTube would now be included in the ban.
“Young people under the age of 16 will not be able to have accounts on YouTube,” Albanese told reporters.
“They will also not be able to have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X, among other platforms. We want Australian parents and families to know that we have got their back.”
Albanese acknowledged that enforcing the policy might not be perfect — likening it to existing underage alcohol restrictions — but insisted that it remains “the right thing to do.”
In response, a spokesperson for YouTube criticized the policy shift, describing it as unexpected and misguided.
“Our position remains clear: YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens. It’s not social media,” the company stated.
The legislation, now among the strictest globally, has raised concerns due to its lack of clarity on enforcement. Social media platforms that fail to comply could face penalties of up to AU$49.5 million (US$32 million). Still, experts have warned that the rules may end up being more symbolic than practical, citing vague implementation details.
Platforms including TikTok and Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — have pushed back. TikTok accused the government of sidelining input from mental health and online safety experts, while Meta argued that the measure could create “an onerous burden on parents and teens.”
Despite the backlash, international observers are watching closely as other countries consider similar policies aimed at protecting children online.
