‘We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are’ says Minister

Australia will require Google to ensure that children aged under 16 cannot sign up for YouTube accounts.

The decision, announced today by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, alters the 2024 decision to exclude YouTube from the regime that will require Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X to use age verification technology to ensure that kids cannot sign up for accounts.

Australia’s plan, which comes into force in December, is not to ban kids from using social media. The nation’s leaders instead want to stop social media services from tracking kids through their accounts.

Or as Minister for Communications Anika Wells put it: “We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are.”

Kids will therefore be free to use social media using accounts created by adults, or without an account at all – which is possible on YouTube – or using curated services like YouTube Kids that ...