Australia puts YouTube on list of banned social media for children under 16; How it will work, platforms included, and penalties

The Albanese government has announced that YouTube will be included in its new social media ban for users under the age of 16, a decision placing Australia at the global forefront of digital child protection.

The initial decision was to exempt the platform, but it changed following a formal recommendation from eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, who cited a national survey of 2,600 minors showing that nearly 40 percent of children reported exposure to harmful content on YouTube, more than any other platform.