YouTube is about to become Australia's 'exception'

Under the new law, social media platforms will be responsible for ensuring that users under the age of 16 cannot access content on their platforms. Photo: Bloomberg .

A series of documents obtained under Australia's Freedom of Information laws have revealed that Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland personally assured YouTube's global CEO that the platform would be exempt from laws that ban under-16s from using social media, even before the government held a formal consultation on the exemption.

The YouTube-specific exemption has angered tech competitors in Australia, including Meta, Snap (which operates Snapchat) and especially TikTok. Last month, TikTok called the deal “unreasonable, anti-competitive and shortsighted.”

Australia’s new laws, which are expected to come into effect by the end of 2025, are considered one of the toughest measures against digital platforms globally. Although government data shows YouTube is the most popular online platform for Australian children, the platform is not subject to the same age regulations as its competitors, according to Bloomberg .

In a letter dated December 9, 2024, to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in California, Ms Rowland wrote that she “recommends” that if the government is re-elected this year, YouTube will be exempted from the new law. The letter was sent just days after the bill passed parliament. Australia’s general election is scheduled for May 3.

Ms Rowland’s commitment to YouTube came before she published a draft regulation that would exempt the platform from age restrictions on social media, and the letter was sent before the Australian Communications and Media Department released a discussion paper in February seeking feedback on the proposed YouTube exemption.

It became clear as early as late November 2024 that YouTube would be exempt from the social media ban for children under 16, along with a number of other online services that are deemed to have health and educational benefits. However, the law still gives the government the power to regulate the list of companies that must comply with the age rule. TikTok has led calls for the government to remove YouTube’s exemption.

The letter from Rowland also shows that she is expected to meet with Mohan and other senior YouTube executives on December 13. She said she hoped the meeting would include discussions about user protection features that YouTube is considering, as well as strategies to “increase engagement” on the YouTube Shorts platform. However, the document does not specify whether the meeting took place.

A spokesperson for Ms. Rowland said the December 9 letter was a response to an earlier letter from the YouTube CEO, and declined to comment further on its specifics. Google, which operates YouTube, did not respond to a request for comment.

The new law was passed by the Australian parliament in November. Prior to its passage, most major social media companies including TikTok, Meta and X (formerly Twitter) had expressed deep concerns in submissions to a Senate committee during a brief hearing.

TikTok has been highly critical of the decision to exempt YouTube, arguing that YouTube’s short videos are virtually identical to TikTok content and that excluding YouTube from the new rules is like “banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but allowing Coca-Cola to be sold freely.”

Under the new law, social media platforms will be responsible for ensuring that content on their platforms is not accessible to users under the age of 16. Companies that fail to comply could be fined up to AU$50 million ($32 million). However, it is unclear what technology will be used to verify the age of users.

Source: https://znews.vn/youtube-sap-tro-thanh-ngoai-le-cua-australia-post1546344.html