Children under 16 in Australia will from 10 December 2025 lose the ability to sign in to YouTube or maintain active accounts, under new national social media legislation.

The move marks a stark shift in digital-safety policy and brings YouTube into alignment with other major platforms barred for under-16s.

Under the revised regulations, which stem from the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024, under-16s can still watch YouTube videos while logged out — but their accounts will be deactivated, and they will lose access to features such as commenting, uploading, subscribing, playlists, and personalized recommendations.

Parental controls, channel blocking, content filters, and wellbeing tools tied to logged-in accounts will also no longer function.

The decision to include YouTube follows a reversal of an earlier exemption.

Initially excluded when the broader social media age-gap laws were passed late last year, YouTube was subsequently added after a push from online-safety regulators citing data showing that a significant share of youth online harm occurred on the video-sharing platform.

The change reflects concern that YouTube — long regarded as primarily a video library rather than a social medium — nonetheless poses similar risks as interactive social sites when under-16s are allowed to hold accounts.

The government argues the new rules will better protect young Australians from the mental-health and wellbeing risks associated with early exposure to social media and online content.

Platforms that fail to block under-16s from account usage face potential fines reaching up to A$49.5 million.

YouTube has publicly expressed disappointment, warning that the ban could reduce overall safety for minors on its platform.

In its statement, the company said the law ignores years of work building parental-control tools that help families manage children’s viewing and account settings — features that will be disabled under the new regime.

For parents and guardians, the changes underscore the need to adapt household digital-media routines before the law takes effect.

Experts advise establishing clear device usage rules, limiting screen time in private spaces such as bedrooms, and using supervised or shared devices for children who still wish to access video content.

Though critics caution that the new rules may drive minors to lesser-known apps not yet subject to the age ban, the government and safety regulators stand by the reforms as part of a broader effort to reset online norms for Australian youth, prioritizing offline connections and wellbeing over early digital immersion.