About a month before Christmas last year, Australian children and teenagers under 16 were “overjoyed” to learn that their government had decided to ban them from using Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other platforms.
It is known that companies that fail to enforce strict age restrictions could face significant fines.
However, YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet, will remain accessible to all ages.
The government considers it an educational tool and not a core social networking platform, foreign media write, reports Telegraph.
So for YouTube there is an exception.
Is this a good thing, though?
Reuters reports that some believe the decision exposes young users to addictive and harmful content.
Initially, the ban was intended to include YouTube.
But after discussions with company executives and content creators, the government decided to allow continued access.
Studies show that YouTube is the most used app among Australian teenagers, with 90% of those aged 12-17 using it.
While experts agree that all platforms struggle with harmful content, they question why YouTube, the most popular platform, was excluded.
A spokesperson said the app promotes quality content that encourages respect and limits recommendations of potentially harmful material.
The company also said it had strengthened its moderation policies.
