YouTube Warns Australia's Teen Ban Could Backfire on Safety. YouTube is pushing back against Australia's new under-16 social media ban, warning that the law could actually make teenagers less safe online. Starting 10 December, anyone under 16 will be automatically signed out of their YouTube account, meaning no subscriptions, no parental controls, and no ability for parents to monitor what their kids watch. Teens will still be able to view videos—just without protections like restricted mode or channel blocking. Australia's Communications Minister fired back, calling YouTube's concerns ‘outright weird,' arguing the company is essentially admitting its platform isn't safe. The government reversed YouTube's exemption earlier this year after regulators cited it as the top place where young teens encounter harmful content. YouTube says the legislation was rushed and ignores the complexities of online safety, while Google is reportedly considering a legal challenge. When the law takes effect, platforms face heavy fines for under-age accounts, marking one of the toughest social media crackdowns in the world.