The country introduced in November 2024 a world-unique law that means social media companies can be forced to pay millions in fines if they do not manage to shut out people under 16 years from their platforms – but the video site Youtube would be exempt, the government stated then. This with consideration to how widely the site is used in school.
But that will not be the case, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese states now.
Young people under 16 years will not be able to have accounts on Youtube, he says to reporters on Wednesday.
They will not be able to have accounts on among others Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok or X either. We want Australian parents and families to know that we stand behind them.
On paper, the ban is among the strictest in the world, but the current legislation gives almost no details at all about how the rules will be applied. It has raised concerns that the law will be toothless.
The new law is expected to come into force on December 10.
