Heads up, parents: starting this December, kids under 16 will no longer be allowed to have their own YouTube accounts in Australia. Yep, the world’s biggest video-sharing platform has officially joined the federal government’s under-16s social media crackdown.

The move marks a shift in policy, with the government now including YouTube alongside platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook in its age-restriction rollout. While YouTube Kids will still be allowed (phew!), the standard YouTube platform will now fall under the same rules as its social media siblings.

YouTube Joins the Ban: What Aussie Kids and Parents Need to Know

What's Changing?

• From 10 December 2025, YouTube accounts will be off-limits for under-16s

• Platforms will face hefty fines (up to $49.5 million!) if they don’t take “reasonable steps” to stop kids from signing up

• Kids can still watch videos logged out, but won’t be able to comment, like, or subscribe

The decision comes after research showed nearly 40% of kids had encountered harmful content on YouTube, more than on any other platform. The government hopes this new rule will help protect children from the darker side of the internet, while easing the pressure on parents to monitor it all.

Tech companies are expected to receive more guidance soon on what "reasonable steps" really mean when it comes to age verification, but for now, the message is clear: less scrolling, more childhood.

As Minister Anika Wells put it, “There’s a place for social media—but not for predatory algorithms targeting kids.”

The bottom line? The internet’s about to look a little different for Aussie teens—and for many families, that’s a welcome change.

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