Meta, TikTok argue YouTube should be included in Australia's under-16 social media ban

Late last year, Australia passed a law banning social media for all people under 16 years old. Now, some of those companies — namely Meta, TikTok and Snap — are not happy at one exception: YouTube. Australia has deemed YouTube as a critical education tool and is allowing use, despite an original assumption that the Google-owned platform would be included, Reuters and The Guardian reports.

This follows last month's report from Australia's eSafety Commissioner, which found that YouTube is the most popular platform with 13 to 15-year-olds — with just under three-fourths of that age range using it in 2024. Notably, anyone under 16 needs to be part of a family account that offers parental supervision rights to use YouTube.

Remarks from big tech were pointed. "It is illogical to restrict two platforms while exempting the third. It would be akin to banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but ...