‘Where teens come to learn’: Youtube mounts its case with full-page ad campaign

Youtube has taken out a full-page advertisement in The Australian today, making its case for an exemption from the government’s impending under-16 social media ban.

Last November, the federal government passed an amendment to the Online Safety Act, that restricts social media services — including Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok — to those aged 16 and older. The ban is due to come into effect on December 10 this year.

The government floated the idea of exempting Youtube from the ban several times through the process of drafting the amendment. In a discussion paper issued to major stakeholders in February it based the exemption on educational grounds.