The Australian federal government has declared that, effective from December 10, 2025, individuals under 16 will be barred from holding YouTube accounts, aligning the platform with existing age‑restriction laws already applied to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X. The initiative aims to shield young people from harmful and unhealthy online content.
New Policy Overview
Australia’s recent legislation, passed in November 2024 and set to take effect on December 10, 2025, mandates that social media platforms enforce a strict minimum user age of 16. Initially YouTube was exempted, given its educational use. However, the government reversed this decision following recommendations from the eSafety Commissioner, citing that existing evidence showed nearly 37% of Australian teens aged 10–15 had encountered harmful content on YouTube.
Why Include YouTube?
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant advised that YouTube’s autoplay features and recommendation algorithms exposed young users to violence, hate speech, and toxic behavior similarly to other social media. Consequently, the platform must now prevent under‑16s from registering, maintaining, or using verified accounts. Fines for non-compliance may reach up to AUD 49.5 million.
Implementation Details
From December 10, minors under 16 will no longer be permitted to create YouTube accounts or maintain existing ones. While they can still watch public and educational videos anonymously, features like commenting, subscribing, recommendations, or uploading content will be disabled unless they are registered as adults. Meanwhile YouTube Kids remains accessible and is exempt under the law’s educational services exception.
Enforcement and Age Assurance
Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent under‑16s from circumventing restrictions. These may include:
- Government ID + selfie verification
- Facial age estimation tools
- Verification via mobile or banking providers
Parental consent will not override the age restriction. The eSafety Commissioner will oversee enforcement and may impose significant fines on non-compliant companies.
Public Response & Criticisms
Supporters, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells, describe the policy as crucial for protecting youth mental health and combating algorithmic harms. However critics argue the rule is overly broad and may cut off neurodivergent teens or creative young users who benefit from content creation. Age‑verification trials have also raised concerns about privacy and effectiveness, with tests misclassifying young users’ ages in some cases.
Bottom Line
As of December 10, 2025, Australian youth under 16 will be prohibited from holding YouTube accounts. They will retain access to public videos anonymously, while YouTube Kids remains available. The measure forms part of a pioneering regulatory approach to limit children’s exposure to harmful online content across major platforms.
From: Australian Government eSafety Commission, ABC News Australia, The Daily Telegraph Australia