YouTube Warns Kids' Safety May Decline Under Australia's Social Media Ban

Fri Dec 05 2025 11:39:28 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As Australia prepares to enforce a social media ban for users under 16, YouTube raises concerns about added risks for children without parental controls.

YouTube has voiced concerns that Australia's upcoming laws to restrict social media access for those under 16 may actually compromise children's safety online. Effective December 10, the ban will remove parental control features from YouTube, making it harder for parents to supervise their children's viewing habits. Australian officials have defended the initiative, emphasizing the need for long-term changes to online safety practices. The new legislation has also triggered discussions about the rise of alternative platforms like Lemon8 and Yope, which have gained popularity among teens ahead of the ban.

YouTube says Australia's rushed new laws to block teens from its platform will mean children will be less safe as its robust parental controls will be stripped away.

Parents will lose their ability to supervise their teen or tween's account such as content settings or blocking channels from 10 December when a social media ban for under-16s starts. Children will still be able to view videos but without an account.

Communications Minister Anika Wells responded by saying it was outright weird that YouTube was highlighting the dangers of its platform for children.

If YouTube is reminding us all that it is not safe ... that's a problem that YouTube needs to fix, Wells said on Wednesday.

The platform's statement comes as Australia's internet regulator sets her sights on two little-known apps that teens have flocked to in the lead-up to the country's social media ban.

Lemon8, owned by the creators behind TikTok, and Yope are video and photo-sharing apps that have seen a rise in downloads recently, prompting eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant to ask them to self-assess if they fall under the ban.

The government reversed an exemption for YouTube from the ban in July, with the eSafety Commissioner saying it was the most frequently cited platform where children aged 10 to 15 years saw harmful content.

In a statement on Wednesday, the video-sharing platform said it would comply but that the new law undermined more than a decade's work in building robust protections and parental controls that families rely on for a safer YouTube experience.

In addition, default wellbeing settings such as reminders to take a break or go to bed will no longer be available to children as they only work for account holders.

Ws Lord said the legislation had failed to allow for adequate consultation and consideration of the real complexities of online safety regulation..

YouTube's parent company, Google, has reportedly considered launching a legal challenge to the platform's inclusion in the ban. It did not respond to a request for comment.

According to Wells, teething problems are expected in the first few days and weeks, emphasizing that regulation takes time and patience.

With one law, she said, the government aims to protect Generation Alpha from being overwhelmed by digital distractions.

The other platforms affected by the ban include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Twitch.