Google’s YouTube announced a "disappointing update" to millions of Australian users and creators on Wednesday (Dec 3), confirming that it will follow Australia’s new, world-first ban on social media accounts for teenagers. This means users under 16 will be locked out of their accounts within days. The decision ends a standoff between YouTube and the Australian government, which had initially exempted the platform because of its educational use, but later included it. YouTube stated that viewers must now be at least 16 to sign in, arguing that the law will not actually improve child safety and may make younger users less safe on the platform.

Australia’s move is being closely monitored by other countries considering similar rules, setting a potential global model for how major tech companies balance child protection with access to online services. The government says the ban is necessary due to growing evidence that platforms are failing to shield children from harmful content. YouTube said that from December 10, all under-16 users will be automatically signed out, preventing them from liking, commenting, subscribing, or posting, though they can still watch videos without logging in. This will also block underage creators from accessing their channels. The company did not specify how it will verify ages and reiterated that the ban weakens parental controls, which only work when a child is signed in.

Communications Minister Anika Wells criticised YouTube’s warning that logged-out browsing is unsafe, saying that if the platform itself believes the logged-out experience is not appropriate for young users, that is a problem YouTube must address. The law prohibits anyone under 16 from holding accounts, with penalties of up to A$49.5 million for violations. Other major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have agreed to comply, while only X and Reddit have yet to publicly commit. Wells noted that the tech landscape is constantly shifting, and more platforms may be added as user behaviour changes.

According to the eSafety Commissioner, YouTube has about 325,000 Australian users aged 13 to 15, trailing Snapchat and Instagram in that age range. The regulator also reports that more than one-third of Australians aged 10 to 15 have encountered harmful content on YouTube, the highest among major platforms.