Daijiworld Media Network - Canberra

Canberra, Dec 3: As Australia gears up to enforce a strict social media ban for users below 16 years of age, YouTube has expressed serious concerns that the move may put children at greater risk instead of safeguarding them.

Beginning December 10, minors across the country will be automatically logged out of their YouTube accounts, preventing them from liking, commenting, subscribing, uploading videos or accessing customised safety settings. While children will still be able to watch publicly available videos, they will no longer have parental supervision tools that help monitor online behaviour.

According to YouTube, parental controls built over the past decade — including content filters, restricted mode, bedtime reminders and screen-time alerts — will be disabled once accounts are deactivated. Company representatives have stated that these were essential protections relied upon by families to ensure a safer digital environment.

Australia’s government, however, has remained firm. Officials argue that children are increasingly exposed to harmful content and addictive features online, and that stepping away from social media during their formative years is vital for their mental health and safety. Platforms that violate the law may face heavy financial penalties.

The ban will apply to major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, X, Threads and others, requiring them to block new accounts and deactivate existing ones belonging to under-age users. Regular compliance reports are expected from social media companies every six months.

Even as supporters hail the decision as a strong step to protect Generation Alpha, critics — including parents, educators and digital safety experts — fear that pushing teens out of supervised accounts may instead expose them to anonymous and unregulated browsing.

The debate has now turned into a national conversation on whether regulation alone can ensure online safety — or whether a collaborative approach with technology platforms is the need of the hour.