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Communications Minister Anika Wells revealed that The Wiggles advocated against the government’s move to include YouTube in the legislation banning social media for those under 16.
In an appearance on Today, Wells discussed the decision to retract the exemption initially granted to the Google-owned video service, which is set to be enforced in December.
“YouTube did send The Wiggles to try and persuade me to their position,” Wells said.
Should YouTube be banned for under 16s?
YouTube lobbied for the government to make it exempt from the ban, claiming it is a “video streaming platform” and not a social media platform.
It has now been added to the banned list for under 16s, joining Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat from December.
In a statement yesterday, a YouTube spokesperson told 9news.com.au it was considering its next move.
“Our standpoint is unchanged: YouTube is a platform for video sharing that offers a vast range of free, quality content, often accessed on TV screens. It does not qualify as social media,” stated the spokesperson.
“The government’s announcement today reverses a clear, public commitment to exclude YouTube from this ban.”
“We will consider next steps and will continue to engage with the government.”
