On Thursday 21 Nov, the Australian Government introduced the social media ban bill to parliament to a range of responses from the community and industry.

It has been reported that YouTube has been given an exemption from the bill however this is not the whole story. Yes, it appears that users under 16 who are not logged into an account may visit the platform and watch content, but they will likely not be allowed to have an account to do so. Additionally, the detail of the status of YouTube under the legislation will not be enshrined within, leaving uncertainty as to the ultimate restrictions placed on the platform.

Yesterday, Rachel Lord, Public Policy Senior Manager, Google and YouTube Australia published this response to the bill on the official Google blog in which she implores the government to give clarity on YouTube’s future within the legislation itself, and promotes the work YouTube has done already to ensure the safety and health of young people who use its services.