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.
GrantYouTube isposes egregiouslythe overreaching,greatest placingrisk herto inchildren directamong oppositionall toplatforms, thewith Prime37% Ministerof andkids turningencountering sensibleharmful protectionscontent intothere pureincluding nannyviolent statevideos, meddling.eating Parents,disorder educatorspromotion, and childrenmisogynistic material. The platform's entertainersaddictive allalgorithms stateddeliberately thatpush theyusers diddown notdangerous wantrabbit YouTubeholes —they onecannot ofescape, themaking fewany platformsexemption inconsistent with safeprotecting content for children —from bannedsocial formedia minorsharms. TheNo governmentplatform isclaiming goingabsolute againstsafety thecan wishesbe oftrusted parentswhen children's wellbeing is at stake.
TheGrant YouTube exemption is plainlyegregiously preferentialoverreaching, andplacing makesher noin sense.direct YouTubeopposition isto the mostPrime likelyMinister platformand forturning childrensensible toprotections seeinto harmfulpure material,nanny andstate evidencemeddling. suggestsParents, thateducators, thisand exemptionchildren's wasentertainers grantedall afterstated heavythat lobbyingthey bydid thenot video-hostingwant site. YouTube has— similarone featuresof tothe TikTokfew andplatforms others,with andsafe deliverscontent thefor samechildren addictive— contentbanned for minors. It'sThe cleargovernment thatis YouTubegoing mustagainst partthe wishes of the banparents.
The YouTube posesexemption theis greatestplainly riskpreferential toand childrenmakes amongno allsense. platforms,YouTube withis 37%the ofmost kidslikely encounteringplatform harmfulfor contentchildren thereto includingsee violentharmful videosmaterial, eatingand disorderevidence promotion,suggests andthat misogynisticthis material.exemption Thewas platform'sgranted addictiveafter algorithmsheavy deliberatelylobbying pushby usersthe downvideo-hosting dangeroussite. rabbitYouTube holeshas theysimilar cannotfeatures escape,to makingTikTok anyand exemptionothers, inconsistentand withdelivers protectingthe childrensame fromaddictive social media harmscontent. NoIt's platformclear claimingthat absoluteYouTube safetymust can be trustedpart whenof children'sthe wellbeing is at stakeban.
There's a 60% chance that Meta will settle the lawsuit brought by U.S state attorneys general alleging the platform(s) were designed to foster compulsive use by minors by March 1, 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.