Video streaming giant YouTube on Wednesday criticized the newly introduced ban on social media for children under 16 in Australia, calling it "hasty" and unrealistic, and stating that it will make children "less protected," writes LETA, citing AFP.
"The most important thing is that this law will not fulfill its promise to make children safer online and will actually make Australian children less protected on YouTube," said Rachel Lord, head of public policy at the company.
"We hear the concerns of parents and educators," Lord added.
Starting December 10, Australia will implement a ban on the use of the world's most popular social platforms and websites for children under 16, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Initially, it was planned that YouTube would be exempt from this ban so that children could continue watching educational videos.
However, in July, the Australian government decided not to make exceptions, deeming it necessary to protect children from "predatory algorithms."
YouTube stated that on December 10, all users in Australia under 16 will be automatically logged out of the platform. Age will be determined based on the age provided in the Google accounts from which users log into YouTube.
Minors will still be able to visit the site without an account but will lose access to many YouTube features.
Lord stated that "hasty regulation misinterprets our platform and how young Australians use it."
YouTube indicated that children will no longer be protected by "default settings that ensure well-being" and "built-in safety filters."
"We at YouTube believe in protecting children in the digital world, not from the digital world," said Lord.
