TikTok, Meta and Snapchat slam YouTube’s proposed exemption from social media ban

The federal government has been accused of making a “sweetheart deal” to exempt YouTube from the teen social media ban, as YouTube’s competitors kick off a co-ordinated public campaign against the move.

In November last year, federal parliament passed legislation to ban children younger than 16 from using major social media platforms, citing widespread safety concerns from Australian parents.

Initially, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said YouTube would be among those banned, but several weeks later she indicated the video platform may be given a carve-out because of its educational uses.

While the legislation has already passed, it isn’t due to take effect until December, and the specific rules for applying the ban are still being decided.

The latest draft rules set out several exemption categories, including one for services “that have the sole or primary purpose of supporting the education of end users”.

The draft rules go on to name YouTube separately as being exempt.

Loading…

Rival platforms Meta, Snapchat and TikTok are fuming about the proposal, and some have shared with the ABC their private submissions to the government’s consultation.

In its submission, TikTok calls it a “sweetheart deal” and said exempting YouTube from the teen social media ban would be “akin to banning the sale of soft drinks to minors but exempting Coca-Cola”.

It said “carving out any major platform by name — in this case, YouTube — from the minimum age obligation would result in a law that is illogical, anti-competitive, and short-sighted”.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram, said the notion of exempting YouTube “makes a mockery of the government’s stated intention … to protect young people”.

It argues the platform uses all the same features the government has deemed unsafe for children, including algorithmic content recommendations, never-ending autoplay, and persistent notifications and alerts.

“YouTube’s exemption is at odds with the purported reasons for the [teen social media ban],” a Meta spokesperson told the ABC.

“We call on the government to ensure equal application of the law across all social media services.”

Snapchat has also shared its private submission with the ABC, in which it labels the YouTube exemption as “arbitrary” and a case of “preferential treatment”.

Loading…

YouTube a ‘source of education’, government says

A spokesperson for the Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the government believes its proposed exclusions reflect community expectations.

“If community sentiment changes over time, our laws should be updated to reflect this,” a spokesperson told the ABC.

The government also outlined some of its reasons for exempting YouTube in a discussion paper last month.

It said even though YouTube is “undoubtedly” a source of entertainment, it’s also “an important source of education … relied on by children, parents and carers, and educational institutions”.

The paper goes on to say: “This contrasts substantially with other content streaming services, which are predominantly used by young people to view short-form entertainment content.”

In response, TikTok complained the government has not provided any evidence to support that claim.

TikTok’s submission went on to say there is nothing in the legislation to prevent teachers from sharing educational content from YouTube, TikTok or Instagram with their students, even without the proposed exemption.

Independent researchers have previously published findings that YouTube’s algorithm funnels many young people towards content that promotes eating disorders, misogyny and violence, among other harmful messages.

Those findings mirror concerns about social media more generally, which were cited by the government in justifying the teen social media ban last year.

YouTube remains the most popular platform for teenagers, with a survey published by the eSafety Commissioner last month showing that 73 per cent of Australians aged between 13 and 15 were users.

TikTok is arguing that a carve-out for YouTube would “further entrench [YouTube owner] Google’s market dominance in an already concentrated digital ecosystem”.

Rival platforms are also angry at what they’ve described as “closed door consultation” to decide the details of the ban, after the government committed to a public consultation last year.

“This goes against commitments the government made to parents, safety organisations and technology platforms,” Meta said in a blog post overnight.

The ABC has approached YouTube’s parent company Google for comment.

Loading…