US EditionAustralia Regulator Calls to Add YouTube to Under-16s Social Media Ban
AUSTRALIA, JUN 23 – Australia's eSafety Commissioner warns that 37% of children aged 10-15 encountered harmful content on YouTube, urging the government to include the platform in the under-16 social media ban.
- On June 24, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant formally recommended that YouTube be included in Australia's upcoming ban on social media use by children under 16.
- This recommendation is supported by research revealing that seven out of ten young people between the ages of 10 and 15 have been exposed to harmful online material, with YouTube identified as the most frequently used platform where such content is encountered.
- Ms Inman Grant highlighted that YouTube employs features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and tailored algorithms that encourage excessive use and expose children to misogynistic, violent, and other harmful content.
- She noted that YouTube is the social media platform most commonly used by young Australians, with nearly 37% reporting they have encountered harmful content there, reinforcing her argument to include the site in the upcoming under-16s social media restrictions.
- Communications Minister Anika Wells is reviewing the advice and draft rules before deciding which platforms the ban will cover, aiming to protect children when the ban takes effect from December 2025.
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53 Articles
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