YouTube says it will comply with Australia’s under-16s social media ban, with Lemon8 to also restrict access | Social media ban

YouTube will comply with the federal government’s social media ban on under-16s, but its parent company Google has warned that the laws “will not keep young people safer online” and “fundamentally misunderstand” how children use the internet.

But communications minister Anika Wells described YouTube’s warnings as “completely outlandish”, saying it had a responsibility to keep its platform safe.

Guardian Australia can also reveal that Lemon8, a newer social media app that has seen a recent surge in interest as it is not included in the ban, will restrict its users to those over 16 from next week. The eSafety Commissioner has previously warned that the app is being closely monitored in case it is included in the ban.

Ahead of Wells’ speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Google said it would begin logging off underage users from its platform starting Dec. 10, but warned that this would mean children and their parents would lose access to security features.

Google had strongly opposed including YouTube in the ban after it was initially exempt from the framework. Google had raised the possibility that the ban could be challenged legally, but Wednesday’s statement did not elaborate on that potential and Google sources declined to comment.

Rachel Lord, Google’s senior manager of public policy in Australia, said: in a blog post Users under 16 will still be able to watch YouTube videos while signed out, but kids will lose access to “features that only work when you’re signed in to an account, including subscriptions, playlists, and likes, and default health settings like ‘Take a Break’ and Bedtime Reminders.”

He also warned that parents “will lose the ability to control their teen or tween’s account on YouTube” for things like content settings blocking certain channels.

Lord wrote: “This rushed regulation misunderstands our platform and the way Australian young people use it. Most importantly, this legislation will fail to deliver on its promise to make children safer online and will actually make Australian children less safe on YouTube.”

While Lord did not specify any legal options, he added: “We are determined to find a better way to keep children safe online.”

Speaking to the National Press Club, Wells said parents can adjust control and security settings on YouTube Kids, a separate platform that is not included in the ban.

“I find it frankly odd that YouTube is constantly trying to remind us how unsafe its platform is while logged out. If YouTube is reminding us that it’s not safe and that the website contains content that’s not suitable for age-restricted users, that’s a problem that YouTube needs to fix,” he said.

But Wells also acknowledged it could take “days, or even weeks” for the government’s plans to ban under-16s from social media to come into full effect.

“We know from day one that it won’t be perfect, but we won’t give up and let the platforms off the hook,” Wells said.

Wells praised her advocacy for families of children who took their lives after online bullying and mental health issues, and said the changes would “protect Generation Alpha from being sucked into purgatory by predatory algorithms.” He alleged that social media platforms deliberately target young people to maximize engagement and profits.

“These companies wield incredible power that we voluntarily hand over to them because of the benefits the platform provides us. From 10 December, we’re starting to take back that power for young Australians,” Wells said.

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Just like Snapchat, Meta told Facebook, Instagram and Threads users what to expect from next week. A Reddit spokesperson said the company had no update to share when contacted by Guardian Australia on Tuesday, while X, TikTok, YouTube and Kick also said they had not publicly confirmed how they would comply with the legislation and had not responded to questions.

Platforms that fail to take appropriate steps to remove users under the age of 16 will risk fines of up to $50 million. The coalition has expressed concern about the timing and implementation of the ban, questioning how age verification systems would work, and at least one legal challenge is also on the way.

The government said it was useful to send a signal to parents and children not to access social media, even if some children escape the network.

Wells said it would be some time before tech companies are threatened with $50 million fines, revealing that the eSafety Commissioner will seek information on efforts to purge underage users from platforms on December 11. It will then search for data on a monthly basis.

At a press conference in Adelaide on Tuesday, Wells announced that more platforms would be added to the under-16 ban if children migrate to sites not currently listed.

He told the media to “stay tuned” for news about Lemon8, an Instagram-style app that was not included in the ban. Guardian Australia understands the eSafety Commission has written to Lemon8, owned by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, saying the agency will monitor the platform for possible involvement once the scheme launches.

Guardian Australia can reveal that Lemon8 has decided to limit its users to those over 16 from December 10.

“If everyone goes on LinkedIn and LinkedIn becomes a place where online bullying happens, where algorithms target young people ages 13 to 16 in ways that harm their mental and physical health, we will go after LinkedIn,” Wells said Tuesday.

“That’s why all platforms are on alert. We need to be agile and dynamic.”

Crisis support service in Australia Lifeline 13 11 is 14. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Samaritans You can contact freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the number. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or in chat 988lifeline.org. Other international helplines can be reached at: befrienders.org