YouTube fires back at eSafety commissioner’s push for platform’s inclusion in under-16s social media ban
GuardianJUN 24
YouTube deserves protection from this misguided ban because it serves as an essential educational tool used by 84% of Australian teachers monthly. The platform provides free, high-quality content that helps students learn both inside and outside classrooms, making it fundamentally different from social media platforms designed for endless scrolling. Government research shows 69% of parents consider YouTube appropriate for children under 15, yet the eSafety Commissioner ignores this clear evidence.
YouTube deserves its exemption because it serves a fundamentally different purpose than social media platforms. The platform provides educational content used by 84% of Australian teachers monthly and enjoys broad parental support, with 69% considering it appropriate for under-15s. Removing the exemption would harm students' access to valuable learning resources and contradict the government's own research and commitments.
YouTube poses the greatest risk to children among all platforms, with 37% of kids encountering harmful content there including violent videos, eating disorder promotion, and misogynistic material. The platform's addictive algorithms deliberately push users down dangerous rabbit holes they cannot escape, making any exemption inconsistent with protecting children from social media harms. No platform claiming absolute safety can be trusted when children's wellbeing is at stake.
YouTube's exemption makes no sense when the platform is where children encounter the most harmful content online. Research shows 37% of kids aged 10-15 see dangerous material there, including violent videos and content promoting self-harm. The platform uses the same addictive algorithms as banned social media sites, making the carve-out inconsistent with protecting children from online harms.