Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, dressed in glasses and a black suit, announced a significant policy shift regarding YouTube during a press conference in Canberra on Wednesday. Joined by Communications Minister Anika Wells, Albanese dropped a bombshell on the media. Come December 10, the government will start penalizing YouTube up to $49.5 million in civil penalties if the platform doesn’t prevent registration and active use of accounts for minors under the age of 16.
The decision represents a major reversal of the initial promise that had kept YouTube free of such limitations. Albanese began the conference by recognizing three parents in attendance, all of whom had lost a child. Subsequently, their heart-wrenching stories served to highlight the government’s commitment to protecting children from online harm.
In response to a question about guaranteeing that children would not encounter harmful content on the platform, Albanese stated, “We aren’t saying that.” He implored that the initiative couldn’t be more important. He contended that keeping children safe should take priority over their unlimited access to sites such as YouTube.
“We know social media is doing social harm,” – Anthony Albanese
Laborite Anika Wells made the case most forcefully. She pointed to the startling evidence which indicates that 40 percent of Aussie kids say they’ve encountered harmful content on YouTube. To further expand on this analogy of teaching kids to swim in an urban vs.
“We can’t control the ocean but we can police the sharks, and that is why we will not be intimidated by legal threats when this is a genuine fight for the wellbeing of Australian kids,” – Anika Wells
These moves from the government come against a backdrop of increasing distress over the effects of social media on impressionable eyes. Albanese again underscored that social media is not all bad, but something needs to be done to limit the toxic content.
“Social media is not all bad. We aren’t saying that,” – Anthony Albanese
At the press conference, Wells led a discussion on the dangers parents are facing with their kids’ online interactions. He likened this challenge to trying to teach children how to swim in the middle of a shark-filled ocean. She argued that kids need to learn about who they are before platforms decide who they are.
“We want kids to know who they are before platforms assume who they are. The evidence cannot be ignored that four out of 10 Australian kids report their most recent harm was on YouTube,” – Anika Wells
The announcement has also triggered a looming legal battle with YouTube’s home base, Google. In a letter sent to Wells earlier this week, Google made clear just how worried they are about these incoming restrictions. In an email, a YouTube spokesperson reiterated the idea that the core functionality of YouTube is sharing videos. Second, they claim that it should not be considered social media.
“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,” – YouTube spokesperson
The government’s announcement is a clear departure from previous government commitments. Prior to the rulemaking, they had already promised to make an exception for YouTube.
“The government’s announcement today reverses a clear, public commitment to exclude YouTube from this ban. We will consider next steps and will continue to engage with the government,” – YouTube spokesperson
For the sake of democracy, the government should be doing everything possible to protect the integrity of these legislative processes. It seeks to ensure safe and age-appropriate online experiences for young Australians. As this situation unfolds, both parties may prepare for an extended legal dialogue to address these evolving concerns regarding child safety on digital platforms.
