Starting December 10, all users below the age of 16 will be logged out of their accounts, preventing them from re-entering or setting up new profiles.

This change means that these young users will no longer have the ability to create content, engage with videos through likes or comments, or subscribe to other channels.

However, they will still be able to watch videos on YouTube and regain access to their accounts once they reach the age of 16.

The company also notes that parents will lose the ability to implement parental controls, such as setting content filters or blocking specific channels.

Although the company will comply with the new regulations, it has expressed criticism, claiming that the laws will not effectively shield children from online risks.

“It’s disheartening to announce this change,” expressed Rachel Lord, Senior Manager of Public Policy at Google and YouTube Australia, in a recent blog post.

“This law will not fulfill its promise to make kids safer online, and will, in fact, make Australian kids less safe on YouTube.”

Lord believes kids need to be protected whilst still being able to access social media, rather than being blocked entirely.

She also claimed the law removes important parental protections that keep kids safe.

“It removes the very parental controls and safety filters built to protect them, it will not make kids safer on our platform,” she said.

“These are the unfortunate consequences of a rushed legislative process that failed to allow for adequate consultation and consideration of the real complexities of online safety regulation.”