On Wednesday (3, local date), the video platform YouTube criticized the Australian ban on children under the age of 16 accessing social media networks, and classified this ruling as “hasty” and unrealistic.
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Starting December 10, people under the age of 16 will be blocked from accessing some of the most popular social media platforms and websites, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
“This law will fall short of its promise to make children safer online, and will actually make Australian children less safe on YouTube,” Rachel Lord, the platform’s director of public policy, said in a statement.
“We have heard from parents and teachers who share these concerns,” he added.
YouTube, one of the most visited websites in the world, was originally scheduled to be removed from the ban so that people under 16 could access educational videos.
But the Australian government changed its position in July, saying young users should be protected from “predatory algorithms.”
YouTube has said that all Australian users under the age of 16 will be automatically logged out of the platform from December 10.