YouTube blasted Australia’s upcoming social media ban for under-16s on Wednesday, calling the world’s first legislation “rushed” and claiming they will put children at risk online. Starting December 10, Australia will restrict users under the age of 16 from a number of the world’s most prominent social media platforms and websites, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
This law will not keep its promise to make kids safer online, and will in fact render Australian kids less safe on YouTube,” the company’s public policy director Rachel Lord said in a statement. YouTube, one of the most popular websites in the world, was originally intended to be exempt from the restriction so that children may watch instructive videos.
However, the Australian government reversed course in July, stating that young users needed to be protected against “predatory algorithms”. YouTube announced that all Australian users under the age of 16 would be automatically signed out on December 10, based on the ages associated with their Google accounts. Underage users could still browse the website without an account, but they would be denied access to several of YouTube’s features, such as wellbeing settings and safety filters.
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