Is Australia banning YouTube? What we know as age restriction is imposed

YouTube has joined the list of apps that will be age-restricted in Australia starting late this year. Previously, social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, Snapchat, and Reddit were announced to be age-restricted for kids under 16 in Australia.

On July 30, 2025, Australia's communications minister, Anika Wells, told Parliament that YouTube will also be restricted for kids under 16. However, YouTube Kids would not be restricted.

The ban would take place on December 10, 2025. The Australian government has ordered the platforms to deactivate accounts owned by individuals 16 and under. The social media platforms are also instructed to figure out ways to prevent children from bypassing the law and creating accounts. If any company fails to cooperate, it will be fined up to $50 million.

Wells also noted that online gaming, messaging, education, and health apps won't fall under their new social media law. Anika Wells said that the ban was for the sake of children, to protect them from online harm, mentioning the survey that stated that four out of 10 Australian children claimed their "most recent harm" was from the video-sharing platform.

"The evidence cannot be ignored that four out of ten Australian kids report that their most recent harm was on YouTube. And as parents, we are really trying our best when it comes to the internet. But it's like trying to teach your kids to swim in the open ocean, with the rips and the sharks, compared to at the local council pool. We can't control the ocean, but we can police the sharks," Anika Wells said.

YouTube will now be included in Australia’s social media ban for children under 16, joining other platforms such as Twitter/X & Instagram.

The ban is set to take effect from December 10th. pic.twitter.com/8gUFmajV9r

— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 30, 2025

More details on Australia's social media apps banning law and YouTube's statement on the ban

In November 2024, Australia's Online Safety Act 2021 was amended, and the law banning social media platforms for individuals 16 and under was passed. This makes Australia the first country to ban so many social media platforms for minors.

Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, told Parliament on Wednesday that they have the parents' backs and this new law would make a "difference" in society.

"We want Australian parents and families to know that we've got your back. We know this is not the only solution and there's more to do, but it will make a difference," he said.

A spokesperson for YouTube told Reuters in an email that their app is a "video sharing platform" and not social media. They claimed it offers "high-quality content" and is often viewed on television screens, which is why it can not be compared with other apps.

"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," the spokesperson said.

According to The Guardian's July 29, 2025, report, last year, when the social media ban was announced, the video-sharing platform was promised to be exempt from the ban by then-communications minister Michelle Rowland.

However, the eSafety commissioner consulted with the current communications minister, Anika Wells, and the Prime Minister and suggested that the app be banned.