New rules in Australia will prevent minors under the age of sixteen from having accounts on YouTube and other social media sites in an effort to shield them from dangerous information and “predatory algorithms.”
According to statistics published by Communications Minister Anika Wells, 40% of Australian youngsters have come across hazardous content on YouTube. According to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the prohibition will take effect on December 10 and apply to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and X.
The Minister said, “We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are” ” There’s a place for social media, but there’s not a place for predatory algorithms targeting children”
Although specifics of enforcement are still unknown, platforms that violate the law risk fines of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$32 million).
The action was opposed by YouTube, which claims it is not a social media site. According to a YouTube representative, the government’s declaration on Wednesday was a startling U-turn.
The business stated in a statement that “our position remains clear; YouTube is a video sharing platform with a library of free, high-quality content, increasingly viewed on TV screens.” “It’s not social media.”
Concerns over the law’s ambiguity and enforcement have also been voiced by other tech firms and specialists.
