YouTube Exemption From Australian Teen Social Media Ban Opposed by Regulator

Australia’s online regulator called on the government to reverse its controversial exemption for YouTube from a social media ban for under-16s, an unusual intervention that echoes similar pleas from rival platforms including Facebook and TikTok.

The country’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said Tuesday she wanted the legislation to be “fair, consistent, and proportional.” Speaking on national radio, Inman Grant said fresh research showed Google-owned YouTube was the most-used social media platform and the biggest source of harm for young Australians.