Understanding Australia's Potential Ban on Social Media

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The Australian government is set to impose social media restrictions for those under 16 in a bid to safeguard young users and put “parents ahead of platforms”.

After prolonged anticipation, the government has revealed that YouTube will be involved in its ban, along with specifying which online services will not be affected by the measures.

“We understand the negative impact social media can have, and my government, along with this parliament, is ready to act to shield young Australians,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated on Wednesday, with Communications Minister Anika Wells by his side.

Wells emphasized the government’s focus on “prioritising parents over platforms” and expressed they won’t yield to pressure from tech giants.

“These measures are being introduced for parents who seek stronger online protection for their children. We aim for kids to know their identity before platforms shape it for them.”

A woman in a white blazer is speaking at a lectern with two women and a man, and flags behind her.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the government is putting parents ahead of platforms. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

How will the ban work?

Under the world-first legislation, “age-restricted social media platforms” will have to take “reasonable” steps to prevent children under this age from having accounts on their service.

Platforms will face fines of up to $49.5 million for failing to comply with the law.

When it comes to enforcement, Wells described “working rules” that will not be “set and forget”, adding the onus is on social media companies to work with the eSafety commissioner in determining what this looks like on their individual platforms.

“Social media platforms have been on notice since December last year that this was coming,” she said.

Wells specified four “reasonable steps,” including disabling current accounts, preventing new account creation, implementing preventive measures, and fixing mistakes.

“Kids, God bless them, are going to find a way around this, and maybe they are all going to swarm on LinkedIn, we don’t know,” Wells said.

“These are meant to be working rules, and they also need to correct any errors as they arise.”

For users over the age of 16, Wells said the government is awaiting the final recommendations from its age assurance trial.

Which platforms will be included in the ban?

According to the government, and in consultation with eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, age-restricted social media platforms will include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube, among other platforms.

When the legislation was passed by parliament, YouTube was one of a handful of platforms listed as exempt because they were “out of scope” of the policy. However, last month, Inman Grant wrote to Wells, making a formal recommendation that YouTube be included among the banned platforms.

Inman Grant explained that the decision stems from research by eSafety, revealing that YouTube is the most accessed social media platform by young Australians and also the site where they face most online risks.

The restrictions placed on YouTube will allow the YouTube Kids platform to operate, and minors will also be able to watch videos on the website in a logged-out state or under parental supervision.

But under-16s will not be allowed to have active YouTube accounts or subscribe to YouTube channels.

Unlike many of the other platforms included in the ban, YouTube doesn’t require users to have an account or be logged in to access content.

Online gaming, messaging apps, health and education services won’t be included.

“These types of online services have been excluded from the minimum age obligations because they pose fewer social media harms to under-16s,” Wells said.

“All services classified as age-restricted social media platforms, unless explicitly exempted by the rules, will need to comply with the social media minimum age legislation.”

When will the ban come into effect?

The law will come into effect from 10 December this year.

Wells acknowledged “there is no perfect solution” when it comes to keeping young people safe online, but that the law “will make a meaningful difference”.

“As parents, managing the internet can feel daunting, akin to teaching your children to swim in an open ocean filled with rips and sharks, rather than a controlled local pool. We can’t tame the ocean, but we can manage the sharks,” Wells remarked.

We can’t control the ocean, but we can police the sharks.

Communications Minister Anika Wells

“That’s why we will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the wellbeing of Australian kids.”

How have social media platforms responded?

A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement posted on its parent company Google’s blog on Wednesday that the company shares the government’s goal of reducing harm.

“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,” they said, adding the decision reverses a public commitment to exclude YouTube from the ban, and that it would consider next steps.

Google had this week written to Wells, asking her “to uphold the integrity of the legislative process and protect the age-appropriate experiences and safeguards we provide for young Australians”.

Inman Grant has rejected claims the decision would impact educators and schools.

When the laws passed, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it maintained there was a lack of evidence associating youth mental health with social media. Both Meta and TikTok described a rushed process.

Earlier this month, Meta announced expanded protections for teen accounts and child safety features.

TikTok has also been featuring ads promoting its educational benefits for teens.

— With additional reporting from Alex Gallagher and Naveen Razik.