Julie Inman Grant urges Albanese government to rethink exempting YouTube from under-16s social media ban
Australia’s online safety watchdog has demanded that YouTube be included in the upcoming under-16s social media ban, slamming the Albanese government’s decision to exempt the video-sharing platform as inconsistent and dangerous.
Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety commissioner, made the call in formal advice to Communications Minister Anika Wells, warning that excluding YouTube from new legislation set to take effect in December 2025 undermines efforts to protect children online. The current ban targets apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram but carves out YouTube — a move that followed direct lobbying from the platform’s global CEO.
Inman Grant wrote that YouTube posed many of the same risks as other platforms, especially with features like auto-play, infinite scroll, and algorithm-driven content feeds. These mechanics, she said, can “fuel harm” to young users by increasing exposure to disturbing material.
“Providing a specific carve-out for YouTube appears to be inconsistent with the purpose of the Act,” she said. “There is insufficient evidence that YouTube predominantly offers beneficial experiences for children under 16.”
Although the initial intent was to include YouTube in the ban, the regulations passed in late 2024 exempted it after then-communications minister Michelle Rowland cited its educational and health resources. However, major platforms like TikTok and Snapchat condemned the decision, calling it irrational and unfair.
Inman Grant’s findings will feature in her address to the National Press Club on Tuesday. She is expected to highlight alarming data from a survey of 2,600 children aged 10 to 15, which found that 70% had recently encountered harmful content online. Four in 10 said that content was on YouTube, the most cited platform in the study.
“Children described exposure to violent fights, misogynistic material, eating disorder promotion and dangerous online challenges,” Inman Grant will say. “This is not isolated; it’s systemic.”
Adding to her concerns, she referenced a recent New York Times investigation which revealed YouTube had scaled back its content moderation efforts, allegedly allowing harmful content to remain accessible even when it breached internal policies.
She also criticised a broader trend of major tech companies winding down their trust and safety teams. “Platform after platform is weakening policies that are meant to reduce harm, making the digital world increasingly perilous for our children,” she said.
Inman Grant advised the government to tighten the legislation by explicitly naming high-risk design features like story functions, content streaks, and AI chatbots. She urged a shift away from platform-specific naming, noting that rapidly evolving technology can render carve-outs outdated within months.
The eSafety office also raised concerns about the practical enforcement of the ban. Despite an ongoing government age assurance trial, the report last week conceded that current technologies are flawed, with face-scanning tools delivering inaccurate results and age verification processes lacking guaranteed reliability.
TikTok, Snapchat and Meta had already voiced opposition to YouTube’s exemption. “It’s illogical to restrict two platforms while exempting the third,” said TikTok’s policy director, Ella Woods-Joyce. “It’s like banning soft drinks for minors but letting Coca-Cola off the hook.”
Minister Wells, who requested Inman Grant’s updated advice, released the findings on Monday. She has yet to confirm whether the exemption will be reviewed, but the growing backlash — from industry rivals, experts, and child advocates — is likely to put pressure on the government to act before the rules take effect later this year.
