Australia has reverted an earlier decision to exempt YouTube from its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the Alphabet-owned video-sharing site. The decision came after an internet regulator urged the government last month to overturn the YouTube carve-out, citing a survey that found 37% of minors reported harmful content on the site. The decision broadens the ban set to take effect in December. YouTube claims it is used by nearly three-quarters of Australians aged 13 to 15, and should not be classified as social media because its main activity is hosting videos. The ban outlaws YouTube accounts for those younger than 16, allowing parents and teachers to show videos on it to minors. The reversal sets up a fresh dispute with Alphabet, which threatened to withdraw some Google services from Australia in 2021 to avoid a law forcing it to pay news outlets for content appearing in searches.
Australia extends its teen social media ban to YouTube, removing an exemption. Thuy639
