YouTube will prohibit registration for children under 16 years old

Australia bans YouTube for children under 16: platform faces multi-million dollar fine. The country's government has extended strict restrictions to the popular video hosting service, equating it to social networks. According to CNN, the new rules will come into effect in December this year, requiring YouTube to follow the same standards as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X.

For violating the ban on registering underage users, platforms face a substantial penalty — a fine of nearly 50 million Australian dollars (about 32 million US dollars). Social networks now bear direct responsibility for preventing children under 16 from creating accounts.

YouTube representatives expressed deep disappointment with the Australian authorities' decision. In their opinion, this contradicts the government's previously given "clear public commitment" to treat the platform as an educational tool. The company stated that it will explore possible next steps and continue dialogue with the government. It's important to note that the ban will not affect the specialized YouTube Kids service, as it does not provide users with the ability to upload videos and comment on content.

Australia's Communications Minister Anika Wells figuratively compared the new restrictions to teaching children to swim in a safe environment instead of the open ocean with sharks and dangerous currents. She firmly stated that the government is not going to back down from legal threats when it comes to the well-being of Australian children.

The decision to include YouTube in the list of platforms prohibited for children was made after the publication of a study by Australia's independent online regulator, the eSafety Commission. According to the survey, 37% of children encountered harmful content on this platform, including sexist and hateful materials, dangerous online challenges, videos with fights, and content promoting unhealthy eating habits.

Speaking in parliament, Wells emphasized that YouTube uses the same "persuasive design technologies" as other social networks: infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds. In her view, children are unable to resist these mechanisms, so the platform should not enjoy special privileges.

At the same time, the Australian government was conducting tests of age verification technologies. The preliminary report showed that age verification can be carried out effectively and with respect for privacy, although a universal and completely reliable solution does not yet exist. The study also revealed the problem of excessive collection of user data by some platforms, which creates additional risks to privacy.