Australia has the strictest laws on the use of social media platforms in the world. Individuals under the age of 16 are banned from accessing social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram for online safety reasons, with platform operators facing fines of up to A$49.5 million (~RM 209 million) if they allow it.
Today, Australia has classified YouTube as a social media site, making it illegal for users under 16 to access. In a study conducted by Australia's internet watchdog, 37% of children aged 10-15 reported seeing harmful content on YouTube, the highest percentage compared to other social media.
YouTube was previously excluded from this classification, causing Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok to say it was an unfair action. YouTube representatives said they would meet with the Australian government. YouTube insisted that it is a video sharing platform accessed via TV and not a social media site.
In Malaysia, YouTube also said that it is not a social media platform and does not need to apply for a license that the government has required since January this year. What is certain is that this year has seen more and more countries begin to impose restrictions on the use of the internet by minors.
In the past few weeks, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, Italy, France and Spain have become the first six European countries to test age verification features before a site can be accessed. Yesterday, Malaysia was also considering banning the use of social media by children under 13.